Pokémon: The Protagonist Chronicles: Red
by SAC-san
Summary: A novelization of the game Pokémon FireRed. Red, a normal, unassuming teenager from Pallet Town is ripped from his life of comfort and sent on a Pokémon Journey, along with his best friend Cassie "Leaf" Greene and Blue Oak, his former friend and rival. Watch Red as he grows up, makes friends, defeats foes, wins badges, and maybe even wins the heart of his best friend? Mild Language
1. Prologue

**Hey, guys! I know this type of story happens a lot on FF, but I honestly feel like I've been called to make this. I've loved Pokémon and its characters for so long, that I wanted to write my version of how the games and their canon played out. I'm not going to be adding random OCs and stuff, but I will be slightly altering some events to add new content, but it'll be cool, I promise! I also need constructive criticism, please! I never feel as though I can get my description across well, so I want input! Also, please give me your honest opinions about the dialogue! It never feels natural enough to me. Thanks!**

* * *

 **March 1** **st** **, 1990**

" _Unbelievable! Lance's second Dragonair is down for the count! It's been a long time since the champion has been pushed this far!"_

In a small house in a small town called Pallet, in a small country called Kanto, a young boy sat in front of a TV, watching with analytical intent. The announcer was having an absolute fit, because the current reigning title holder, Lance, was being pressured heavily in the battle he was fighting. What kind of battle was it, though? Sports were popular in Kanto, such as baseball, soccer, and tennis, but one thing trumped all of those:

Pokémon battling.

You're probably asking, "what on earth are Pokémon?", and "how does one battle with them?".

To begin, Pokémon are mysterious creatures of all shapes and sizes. They live in forests, lakes, and mountains, and many people own Pokémon as pets. However, Pokémon possess powerful abilities beyond human understanding, and because of the symbiotic relationship between them and humans, they are often trained and used in friendly competition. A person, called a trainer, competes against other trainers to win titles and gain fame. While many people weren't trainers, Pokémon help humans in many other ways: construction and physical labor, environmental preservation, security and police work, and many other things.

While Red understood that Pokémon were important, he just didn't get Pokémon battling. He thought it was a waste of time. Why would two trainers order their Pokémon to attack each other? Surely there was something more practical for them to do instead of hurting one another?

"Honey?"

A knock came from the door to Red's room.

"You're still awake? It's nine 'o'clock, honey! It's way past your bedtime." Red's mother, a humble woman of twenty-seven, crosses her arms. She wasn't pleased.

"Mom, can I ask you a question?"

Red's mom didn't expect a response like that, she expected him to protest and whine, but she told herself to count her blessings. She entered the room, closed the door, and sat on Red's bed near him. "Sure, Red. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Mom." He looked up, shrugging. "I just wondered if you have ever battled with Pokémon before."

"Me?" She asked, thinking for a moment. "I remember having a few Pokémon around the house as a child, but your father is the one who's trained Pokémon. Why, do you want to as well?"

He shook his head, his black hair flipping slightly. "No."

"Oh." She answered, surprised. "You certainly don't have to."

"Good," he walked up to the TV and pressed the switch on the front, turning it off and silencing the announcer. "Cause I think it's dumb. Why can't these trainers do something with their Pokémon that isn't just fighting?"

She couldn't help but laugh at her young son's way of his expressing his opinions, his blunt words and simple mannerisms. The TV was still blaring on and on about the match, which had apparently shifted in the champion's favor. "Honey, those trainers' livelihoods are Pokémon battling, you know. You can have an opinion like that, but be careful, okay?"

Red's cheeks tinted like his name, knowing that had acted out of line. "Sorry, Mom. I don't have anything against them at all. I just don't get why they battle."

She pulled the covers out for him to get in, and after Red got into bed. "And that's just fine, dear. You don't have to be a Pokémon trainer if you don't want to," she pulled the blanket up to his neck, leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. "Good night, sweetie."

"Night, mom." Red smiled back, sliding under the covers. She closed the door slowly, watching her son's face descend into sweet sleep. After walking back to the kitchen to resume washing the dishes, she could feel a pang of sadness in her heart. Her son didn't think Pokémon battling was worth it? While she had never been a trainer, she had fallen in love with one. He was an amazing man, at least for a few years. Now, she lived alone with her son, Red. While she hoped that Red would never become like his father, she hoped that he would at least give Pokémon battling a chance, since it was such an important part of growing up, especially for young boys.

Speaking of the young man, he was doing the opposite of sleep. He lied awake, thoughts running through his head like rush-hour traffic. Why? Why on earth did Pokémon matter so much? Well, he could answer that question for himself: because humans and Pokémon rely on each other for daily needs. Without Pokémon, humans would lose their partners in many things, like construction, medicine, and law enforcement. They would also lose food sources since some Pokémon were farmed for human consumption. Without humans, Pokémon wouldn't be able to realize their full potential, and they wouldn't be able to live in advanced societies as humans do. He just didn't understand why Pokémon battling was so important. It was just entertainment, right?

Red, being only seven, eventually drifted off to sleep. In his sleep, however, he mumbled the true reason why he doesn't like Pokémon battling:

" _I'll never be like him… never ever…"_

* * *

 **July 23** **rd** **, 1993**

It was a beautiful summer day in Pallet Town, but boy, was it _hot_ , Red thought to himself. Kanto's summers were always humid, but not always hot. Nonetheless, it was a perfect day to run around the meadow near the town and play.

At ten years old, Red loved playing outside and finding some kind of adventure in his backyard. Pallet Town wasn't very big, so he knew most of the people that lived there. The town's small population was attributed to how it had only been founded ten years prior, and the fact that it was so rural. Why would you want to live in a small ranch house in a hick town like Pallet when you could live in style in a high-rise apartment in Saffron City, to the north-east? That seemed to be the opinion of a lot of people in Kanto.

"Hey, wait up, Red!"

Red turned towards the voice, the grass blades in the field brushing against his bare legs. It was Blue, a…friend of his. Well, Blue used to be a decent kid that Red liked to play with, but he had started to become a bit of a jerk. He teased Red, gave him grief for really unimportant things, and was a know-it-all. Nonetheless, Red put up with him because there weren't many kids in Pallet Town, at least ones their age.

"You run way too fast!" Blue caught up to him, panting, his hands on his knees. "You're normally so slow, what gives?"

Red shrugged. "Don't know, guess you're the slow one today."

"Shut up!" Blue whined, stamping his feet. "We all know that I've beaten you in more running contests than I can count on my fingers!"

Red rolled his eyes. How on earth was the son of two famous Pokémon researchers, and the grandson of the most famous researcher in Kanto, such a huge _whiner_?

"Never mind that!" Blue crossed his arms, a smirk on his face. "What're we gonna do today anyway? There's nothing to do."

"We could hunt for bugs," Red suggested, sitting on the almost-like-velvet grass.

"Ugh, you always suggest that." Blue scoffed, sitting down as well. The breeze was a little strong today, and Red had to watch to make sure his cap didn't blow off. "We could go pester my grandpa. I'm sure he could give us something to do." Blue said, lying down on his back.

"No way, the last time we did that he made us carry boxes for an hour. That wasn't any fun at all."

Blue was about to retort when two vehicles sped by the road about fifty meters away. While Blue and Red were in the field away from the more densely populated part of town, there was a road that everyone had to pass through to get to Pallet Town. It was an old rickety country road, made of gravel. Since it was gravel you could hear any car coming a mile away, almost. Blue sat up in surprise, and Red turned to look as well. The first vehicle was a large truck, with the words **MACHOKE AND FAMILY MOVING CO.** in big bold letters on the side, alongside a decal of the Pokémon named machoke, a large, grey humanoid with insane muscles. The second car was a typical grocery-go-getter, painted white with wood decal. The windows were too dark to see anyone inside.

"Red did you see that?!" Blue pointed as the vehicles drove further down the road. "That looks like someone who's moving in!"

"I saw, I saw. It's probably just another old couple, Blue. Don't get your hopes up."

"Ugh, Red!" Blue raked his little hands through his sandy, spiky hair in frustration. "This is why you and I don't get along sometimes! You don't wanna try anything new, or take any risks! Who knows? Maybe there's another kid moving in!"

To his chagrin, that thought hadn't really occurred to Red. He knew that Pallet was a relatively new town, and pretty out of the way as well. He figured that families with kids wouldn't want to come here. They'd want to go to Celadon or Saffron, where there's good schools and department stores or whatever. "…are you saying you wanna go see?"

"Yeah!" Blue cried, his eyes full of an indescribable emotion. "Come on, Red! Don't be so antisocial, let's go see!"

"Ugh, fine." Blue didn't even hear his reply after he dashed off. Red quickly followed suit, thinking that if he had to move more boxes, he'd have to get his revenge on Blue somehow.

* * *

Pallet was a fascinating little town in how you could be on one side of it, walk for a little more than an hour, and be on the other side. Pallet's population was about three-hundred, maybe three-hundred and two if the people moving in were a married couple. Maybe three-hundred three or four if they had kids.

Unfortunately for them, Blue and Red had lost sight of the moving truck, and they were completely exhausted from running. The boys were no strangers to running and playing outside for long periods of time, but between the heat and the fact they had been running for about twenty minutes straight, they were exhausted, sweaty, and frustrated.

"We…lost it," Blue grumbled through pants. "This town isn't that big! Where could it have gone?!"

Red took off his cap to wipe the sweat from his brow. It was that very hat that was keeping him a bit cooler than his hot-headed friend. "Just give it up, Blue. Let's go back home and ask around. Maybe my mom knows."

Blue wanted to protest but knew that between the two of them, Red was the more level-headed boy. They could cool off at Red's house, as well as get a different plan to find the truck.

"All right, let's go."

Luckily, the two boys were not even a five-minute walk from Red's house. It was a simple one-story ranch, with a small front and backyard. The backyard was surrounded by a white picket fence. The house was brown in paint color, with white shutters on the sliding windows. Red's mom loved to garden, which was evident as there were flowers in the mulch around the house, as well as in baskets below the window sills. There was also a garage, which was open.

Red and Blue walked in the garage door, immediately feeling the temperature difference. There was a smaller area near the back of the garage with carpet and two lawn chairs, as well as a TV. The boys sat in the chairs, finally able to cool down.

"Your mom home?" Blue asked.

Red shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "Probably. She's usually in the garden during this time of the day."

After cooling off, they went through the door in the smaller area into the backyard, where sure enough, Red's mom was pulling weeds in a vegetable garden.

"Mom!" Red yelled, racing towards her. Blue stayed close behind.

"Hi, sweetie!" Red's mom sat up, dirt on her apron-covered knees and a sunhat plopped carelessly on her head. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all," Red replied.

Blue spoke before Red could explain the situation. "We saw a moving truck at the outskirts of town. Do you know where it went, ma'am?"

"Now that you mention it, there were two houses for sale in Pallet Town. There's one just down the street, you can't miss it. There's also one downtown a ways, maybe a twenty-minute walk. Are you trying to see if there are any kids coming?"

"Yeah," Blue replied. "we just lost the van after tailing it for a few minutes."

"I honestly think it's the one down the street, boys. I remember seeing that they changed the sign to sold a couple weeks ago." Red's mom stood up fully, her apron and knees covered in dirt. "Before you go, grab a couple popsicles from the freezer, and take a couple extra if there's a new neighbor your age."

"Thanks, mom!" Red blurted out before running back to the garage with Blue in tow.

With a new direction in mind, the boys set out to find out just who these new people were, and if they could make a new friend or two.

* * *

When the two boys reached the house with the truck, they kicked themselves. They had passed the house twice and never noticed the for-sale sign! With a slap to the forehead, Blue and Red walked up to the house, popsicles in mouth and two in hand.

They noticed that the moving van had been opened, and two men, along with two Machoke, were hauling boxes and furniture inside. There was a man standing outside, directing the men.

"Careful! Careful! Some of my wife's china is worth more than a year's salary for you guys!" He was a large man, tall and intimidating, with thick facial hair and a bit of a beer belly. He had thick arms that bulged out of his t-shirt, and his brown hair was thin on his head.

"Honey, stop harassing the movers." A woman walked up to him. She was dressed for the weather as well, with a long white dress and a short-sleeved shirt. She had long, blonde hair that reached her thighs, and she was quite beautiful. "Just let them do their job."

The man sighed. "I know, I know. Sorry, Ashley."

So, her name was Ashley, Red thought. Before he could do anything, Blue walked up the driveway towards them.

"Hi, there!" He introduced himself. "Are you our new neighbors?"

They turned in surprise, but the woman responded. "Oh, hello young man! Yes, we just moved in! What's your name?"

"I'm Blue! I live a ways down the street. And right next to me is…" Blue looked back to see Red still hanging back. He motioned him forward with his hand. Swallowing his fear, Red walked forward.

"This is my friend, Red. We saw the moving truck earlier and wondered just who was moving into Pallet Town."

"That's so sweet!" The woman's hands met her cheeks. The man, no longer frowning, walked towards the boys.

"Well met, young man. Name's Carl Greene, and I just got a job at an office down in Viridian. We actually lived in Johto, Goldenrod City, but we had to move for my work. Luckily, my wife and daughter are flexible people."

He stuck out his hand and Red took it, followed by Blue. It was huge and engulfed Red's own in warm, hairy…hand flesh.

"Wait, did you say daughter?" Red asked.

"Yep! You boys look around ten, right?"

They both nodded. The excitement was welling up in their chests.

"She's around your age as well. Her name's Cassie, and I'm sure she'd love to meet you two." Carl turned towards the house.

" _Cassie!"_ He bellowed. Goodness, Red thought. They could replace the emergency storm system alarm with his voice.

Sure enough, someone opened the second-story window. "What, dad?! I'm trying to fix my room!"

"Take a break, kiddo! There are some kids in the neighborhood that wanna be your new friends!"

There was an audible gasp as the window shut, and Red could barely hear the stomping of feet running down a flight of stairs. The girl known as Cassie nearly crashed into one of the movers but managed to gracefully make it out of the house without injuring herself.

"There's other kids?" She said as she ran up to her father. She was about ten, according to Carl, and it was apparent. She was maybe just a bit taller than them, had long, brown hair, just as long as her mother's. She was wearing a black dress that reached below her knees, short white socks, and green and white sneakers. Her face was round and girlish, and she had straight teeth and a great smile. She was definitely…cute, Red thought. She seemed a little clumsy, though.

"So, you two live around here?" She asked, pointing to them.

"Yep! Just down the street." Blue replied, pointing in the general direction of their own houses.

"We were curious about whether or not someone our age was moving in, and sure enough, we were right," Red said crossing his arms. "Oh, and here. We brought a popsicle in case you wanted one."

Red handed her the plastic tube of frozen artificially flavored liquid, and she took it. "Wow, thanks! My favorite flavor, too!"

"Sorry if it's a little melted…" Red chuckled in embarrassment.

"It's fine!" She mumbled while slurping it through the tube.

"You wanna go play for a bit, kiddo? Just don't go too far, okay? We'll get everything wrapped up at the house." Her dad said, smiling warmly at her.

"Yeah, thanks, daddy!" She ran up and hugged him tightly, her short arms barely getting half-way around his body. "I'll be back later!"

"Come back before it gets dark, honey!" Her mom yelled as the three ran off towards Red's house.

* * *

The three spent the day playing and laughing, switching between playing outside to going in when it got too hot. They booted up Red's Super Nintendo and played _Super Mario_ and _F-Zero_ for a while. They found out that Cassie was just as rough-and-tough as they were, despite being a girl, and they thought she was hilarious. She had a mischievous streak, and while Blue had fired stinging remarks at her like he did with Red, she easily deflected them back with one-liners. Man, I wish I could do that, Red found himself thinking.

The sun was beginning to set, and it was around eight. Cassie looked up at the sky from the chalk they were writing on the driveway with.

"Oh, I should probably go soon. Mom and Daddy are expecting me back before it gets dark."

Red nodded. "Yeah, it is getting late. It was really fun getting to play with you, Cass."

"Yeah, you too…" She put her hands behind her back, her face tinging pink at his intentional shortening of her name. "C-can you guys walk me home?"

Blue nodded. "No problem!"

The three exchanged few words as they walked back to Cassie's house, but before she went in, she turned to the two boys.

"Can I ask you guys something really quick?"

"Sure." Red and Blue said in unison, something they rarely did.

"Um…" She looked away, a bit nervous. "Do you guys…like Pokémon?"

Red's head cocked in confusion, but Blue's eyes lit up. "Absolutely! Red does too, I promise!"

"I, uh…guess I do?" Red said nervously.

"That's so cool!" Her ocean-blue eye s lit up like fireworks. "I really like Pokémon too! I don't know if I could become a trainer, but I like talking about Pokémon at least!"

Before the boys could reply, they heard a man's voice. "Cassie, it's time to come in! You're on time, though!"

"Just a sec!" She yelled back. "Anyway, thanks for…" She looked down, her face flush with embarrassment. "Thanks for being my friends today, guys."

"It's no trouble," Red replied. "You should go, though. Your dad sounded a bit concerned."

"Yeah, he did, didn't he…?" She chuckled, turning towards the driveway. "See you guys!"

Red and Blue waved as Cassie ran inside, her screen front door slamming shut with a plastic crash.

"Well, that was fun." Red chuckled, putting his hands behind his head. "Looks like you were right, Blue. Sorry I didn't believe in you, I guess."

"It's no problem, dude," Blue replied as they began to walk back home. The sun was starting to set, and the street lights had turned on. Since the sun had mostly disappeared, it started to cool down, and the breeze stopped blowing. "After all, it's nice to know that we can find someone to help us get out of disagreements, too."

Red nodded. "Definitely. I'm actually kinda glad she's a girl, though."

"Why?" Blue's eyebrow cocked to one side. "What, you think she's cute, Red?"

"Guh!" Red couldn't form words, he was so embarrassed. "No! Well, y-yes…just not like that, Butt-head!"

"Ooh, he's all mad now!" Blue cackled like an imp, running ahead of him. "Hey, everyone! Red's got a huge crush on the new neighbor girl! A _HUGE_ one!"

"Blue, I'm gonna punch you! You liar, get back hereeee!"

Red chased Blue all the way back home, where Red actually did punch him. In the arm. Very hard.

This was the beginning of the tale of three kids, whose lives were to be changed dramatically. Being only ten, they were innocent children and loved to play and talk with one another, free of worry or care. Time's change, though. People grow up, and they change, sometimes for the worse.

They changed. All three of them did.

 **September 10** **th** **, 1995**

After two years of living in Pallet Town, Cassie had grown accustomed to the small-town feeling. She came from Goldenrod City in Johto, a large, metropolitan place that rivaled Saffron City in size and commercial value. While she at first lamented having to say goodbye to her friends in the big city, she didn't expect to make new friends so quickly.

There weren't many girls her age living in Pallet Town, but the few that she did know she came to befriend. Still, they didn't really compare to her two best friends: Red and Blue.

Red and Blue were both the same age as her, twelve. Red was quiet and antisocial, but he cared a lot about his family and friends and defended her when the need arose. Blue, on the other hand, was a social Butterfree and charismatic but was cruel and rude at times. He also reacted negatively to losing in any kind of competition.

Nonetheless, she enjoyed her new life in Pallet Town. It was quiet and scenic, and she absolutely loved how much nature there was. In fact, her very identity was changed by them. Or rather, by someone because of them.

It was a beautiful day, and after classes had let out, Cassie decided she wanted to work on her project for her biology class. They were discussing photosynthesis, and how plants use the said process to create food for themselves. The teacher had told them to write a report on photosynthesis and submit it by the end of the week, so she figured that it would be wise to get it done early.

This should be easy, she thought to herself. Pallet Town was near a beautiful field and a small forest, so she should be able to pick up some plants and leaves to study them. It was a perfect setup!

She made her way out of school and down the residential areas, where she and her friends lived. The sun was shining, there were bird Pokémon like Pidgey and Spearow flitting about, and she had someone on her mind, as well.

She couldn't stop thinking about Red.

He was just so…so nice. He was also really serious and dedicated to furthering himself as a person, but he was also the only one who was really kind to her. Blue, while he wasn't a bad person, just had tendencies to bully people.

After about ten minutes of walking, she was around the edge of the town, where the meadow was, and where there were many trees of all kinds. Oaks, maples, elms, and others Cassie didn't even know. They towered over her like sleeping giants, their leaves blowing in the early autumn wind. Their leaves had begun to change and fall as well, coating the ground in nice, crunchy, fall-colored carpet.

She made her way towards some of the trees and began to look around for ones that were still green. She wanted to get an A on her paper and decided that if she provided a labeled leaf along with her report, that she'd score a higher grade. Seeing none on the ground, she decided to climb the base of the tree.

"Ugh, this sucks!" She thought as she tried to shimmy up the tree. Finally, she managed to get up a decent height and find a branch to grab onto. She was about to reach for a higher branch before disaster struck.

"Nice undies, Cass."

The voice from below scared her so bad she flew off the trunk of the tree, landing on her butt in the leaves below. It was about a four-foot drop onto a relatively soft landing, but it still hurt.

"Ow, Blue!" She turned to the source of the voice, and sure enough, it was Blue, purple sweater, teardrop necklace, gray cargo pants and all.

"What're you doing out here?" He scoffed. "Didn't know you liked hugging trees, Cass."

"I was trying to climb up to get a leaf, jerk! Maybe you wanna help me out instead of," She lost her train of thought, flushing at the realization of his comment. "commenting on my underwear choice, stupid pervert!"

"Why do you need leaves, stupid?" Blue roared with laughter, and it filled Cassie's ears like flood waters in a storm drain. Why did he become like this? "What, you wanna eat them or something?"

"No, I need a couple for a biology project." Cassie crossed her arms, still self-conscious of the fact that he had seen under her skirt. She loved wearing skirts but was seriously considering not wearing them anymore because of him. "It's none of your business anyway. If you wanna help me, that's fine, but if you're here to laugh at me, buzz off!"

Blue rolled his eyes and 'tsk'ed his tongue. "I never took you for a tree-hugger, Cass. I guess I should give you a nickname fitting for your new position." He pondered dramatically, his finger on his slightly pointy chin. "I got it! I'll call you 'Leafy' from now on. It's perfect!"

"What?! No, my name's Cassie, jerk!"

"What's that, Leafy-girl? You want a snack?" He bent down on the floor of the meadow and picked up a bunch of debris and leaves. "Here!" He threw it at her with great force. Luckily, she had time to close her eyes before the debris struck her in the face, but it still hurt. She wiped her eyes, hot tears forming in them as she opting for the best option: running away.

She could hear Blue cackling as she ran away, but the dirt on her face made it hard to open her eyes. She managed to open them half-way before running into something solid. Great, I hit a tree, she immediately thought, but this tree was softer, and she felt herself falling on it. It wasn't a tree, it was a person, and they crashed to the ground together.

"Ow, what the…" She recognized the voice. It was the boy she had come to admire greatly. It was Red. "Cassie? What's the matter, why's your face covered in crap?"

"Red, I…" Before she could sit up herself, you-know-who came running back towards them.

"Wow, Leafy! Didn't really take you for _that_ kind of girl," He snickered. "I mean, if you want him so bad, you should at least have the decency to take him to your room or something."

"Blue!" Cassie sat up, her temper flaring. "You're being a much bigger jerk than normal today! What gives?!"

"I dunno, just feeling extra cruel today," He chuckled, picking his ear with his pinkie. "What're you doing out here, Red? Come to save your girlfriend?"

Red sat up, rubbing his sore back and rear. "Not necessarily, but you're being a huge ass right now, and I'd love it if you'd beat it, Blue."

Blue recoiled a bit at Red's language, but it didn't deter him much. "Wow, watch your tongue, Red. Getting a bit steamy for twelve years old, right?"

"Shut up, you're the same age as us." Red stood up completely. Despite being the youngest of the three, he was actually the tallest, nearly hitting one hundred fifty centimeters. While Cassie had been the tallest of the bunch for a year or so, Red had hit a growth spurt last summer. "Just go Blue. We don't like you anymore."

Blue shrugged. "Whatever, man. Not like I need either of you slowing me down, anyway. After all," He pointed towards the cloudy, autumn sky. "I'm gonna be the strongest trainer in the world. I don't know, nor do I care what either of you wants to do. So yeah, I will excuse myself. _Smell ya later,_ guys."

With a showy strut, Blue walked away.

* * *

Red escorted Cassie back to her house, comforting her along the way. Man, I can't believe he's resorted to violence, Red thought to himself as they walked in the front door. Upon entering the house, they were immediately greeted by Cassie's mom.

"Welcome home, honey-" She was immediately cut off by seeing her daughter's face covered in dirt. "Cassie, what happened? Your face is all dirty!"

"I tripped and fell, Mom. It's fine, I promise." Cassie sat down at the kitchen table with Red, and her mom brought them a plate of cheese and crackers.

"Thanks for seeing my daughter home, Red." Cassie's mom said, beaming. "I'm so glad my daughter has such good friends."

"Thanks, Mrs. Greene. Wanted to make sure she got home okay," Red chuckled, taking one of the crackers off the plate. "she tripped and fell at school, after all." He quickly winked at her.

Cassie winked back just as quick so her mom wouldn't see. "Yeah, clumsy me." She laughed.

"I'm telling you, we need to get you some new shoes, silly," Mrs. Greene started to prattle on about Cassie's shoes before she interrupted her.

"Mom, I'm going upstairs with Red. We need to work on homework." She sat up, taking the plate with her as they headed towards the stairs.

Normally, she wouldn't have allowed a boy to be alone with her only daughter in her room, but she had known Red for a few years now and grew to trust him. "Okay, honey. Don't get distracted!"

Red and Cassie ran upstairs and darted in her room like scared animals during a storm. Cassie's room wasn't anything atypical for a thirteen-year-old girl, except that she had hung up some posters of famous female trainers she had come to admire.

"You really like Ace Trainer Fiona, don't you?" Red gazed at the poster, showing an older teenage girl in a red tracksuit and pants striking a pose while holding an ultra ball, which was like a poké ball but with a blue and black design instead of red. Next to her stood an Arcanine, a large, orange canine Pokémon, and a golem, a brown Rock-type Pokémon that looked like a cracked boulder with arms, legs and a head.

"Yeah, she's really cool. Shame she lost in the finals recently," She sat down on the bed, wiping her face with a towel. "but I'm still rooting for her. Yuck, look at all this that was on my face!"

Sure enough, the formerly-white towel was now darkened by black dirt and some red from the cuts on her face. Cassie's upper lip and the area below the eye had small scratches, which turned the skin around them red and swollen.

"You have cuts on your face, Cass," Red pulled a tissue out of the box near the bed and started dabbing her face. "God, I wanna punch Blue. He's such a jerk, especially to you. I don't even know why, either."

Cassie sighed and shrugged, a little embarrassed that Red was doting over her like a parent. "I don't care, I just avoid him now." She turned to the brown-haired boy. "Thanks for grabbing some tree leaves on the way home, though. We can do our reports now."

Red nodded. "Yeah, no trouble."

The two set to work on their reports, furiously scribbling away with their pencils. They finished them about an hour in and decided to do math problems as well. Why does our teacher assign so many practice problems, Red mumbled in his thoughts. While Cassie excelled at math and science, Red was a decent reader and liked grammar and spelling tests. Naturally, this meant that somebody had to babysit Red while he did his math homework and that responsibility often fell to Cassie.

"No, you carry _this_ number over," Cassie giggled. "How many times do I have to explain it, dum-dum?"

"Probably a lot more, because it's still like a foreign language. Let's take a break."

Cassie laid down on her bed while Red reclined in his chair, his arms behind his head. Even though the school year just started, they already missed summer and its bountiful time it had offered. Riding bikes, swimming, exploring, buying ice cream from the local truck, and much more were just a blade of grass in the meadow of summer activities that the trio did together.

"Wait, why was Blue calling you 'Leaf'?" Red asked. "That's weird."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "It's a dumb nickname he came up with on the spot to make fun of me. Stupid jerk; he said he saw my underwear, too."

"O-oh," Red replied, a little embarrassed at Cassie's forwardness. "Don't worry about him. I know it's apparently uncool to stick up for girls, but you're my friend, Cass. I'm not gonna let Blue bully you, okay?"

Her heart swelled at his words. "Thanks. That means a lot."

The two sat in silence for a minute or two before Cassie broke it like a dropped plate.

"You know, it's not a bad nickname."

Red sat up, squinting in surprise. "What, 'Leaf'?"

She nodded, flipping over on her stomach so that she could face Red. He could see the freckles on her elbows had faded since the summer; they always were more prominent because of the sunlight. "Yeah, like a nickname. It's not bad, actually. I really like Grass-type Pokémon after all! Bulbasaur is so cute!"

"Wha-" Red was at a loss for words. "You're serious? So, you want me to call you that now or something?"

Cassie shrugged again. Her cheeks always puffed out a little when she did that, Red had noticed. "If you want. I figured that if I own the nickname, it'll take all of Blue's power away. He can't make fun of me if I'm not bothered by it!"

Red hadn't thought of it like that, and he was honestly impressed that she was willing to try it. "Okay…Leaf."

Said girl laughed in her hands, trying to muffle it. "Oh, it's so embarrassing!"

Red couldn't help but chuckle at her fits of giggles. She was just so…so _cute_. Long brown hair, beautiful sea-blue eyes, and a great sense of humor and personality. It wouldn't be a lie to say that Red really liked her. He loved being with her.

"You know, Red…"

"What's up?"

"I, uh…" She sat up on her knees, trying to find a lady-like position with her skirt. "I'm really glad you're my friend, you know that?"

Red laughed, slouching in his seat a bit. "Same here. I'm just glad you like it in Pallet Town, it's such a sleepy place."

"Couldn't have said any better." She tittered, playing with her thumbs. "Are you…are you gonna go on a Pokémon journey?"

Red's mood deflated a little at her question. "No, probably not. Especially if I have to travel with the esteemed Mr. Oak." He raised his hands, saying the last words in a mocking tone.

"No one said you had to. We could travel together, or just alone, too." Leaf stated, swinging her legs around so they hung off the side of her bed. "Besides, all kids have to go on one eventually, Red. It's the law."

She was right, and it burned him up inside. The Kanto government had recently passed a law requiring all children to obtain two Pokémon gym badges by the time they were sixteen, and the earlier the better, apparently, since school could become a huge burden. Despite the law, Red had no intention of following it. "I don't care, Cass. The law's stupid anyway, and it'll just get repealed or whatever in a few months, so I'm not worried."

"But what if it doesn't get repealed, Red?" She walked up to him, they were face-to-face. Her oceans drilled into his wildfires; Red was astonished how serious she looked. "I'd hate for you and your mom to get fined or punished just because you didn't follow instructions, Red. A Pokémon journey is fun, come on! Even though Blue is a jerk, we could all do it together! Wouldn't it be satisfying to see the look on his face after beating him at his own game?"

The prospect of rubbing a victory or two in Blue's stupid face forced a few chuckles out of Red, but he was still adamant about his decision. Red sat up out of the chair as if he was about to give a speech. "No, I don't care! I don't even like Pokémon that much, anyway! They're the reason my dad left my mom, too…"

"Wait, what?" She turned to him again, suddenly concerned. "I thought your dad was working out of the country or something like that?"

Red shook his head, his hair flapping wildly. "No, he divorced my mom when I was seven to try and be a Pokémon trainer. He ended up finding some other woman halfway into his journey and just…just abandoned my mom, like a pet he didn't want. He's a no-good bastard, and I hate him. I hate him…"

Red's words turned into soft sobs as he wrapped his arms around his lean body, shaking. Oh, my god, Cassie murmured to herself. She pulled the boy into her embrace in an attempt to comfort him, and after a few seconds, it seemed to work.

Red sniffed. "I-I'm sorry, Cass. It's just…I don't wanna be a trainer. I don't wanna leave my mom."

Cassie felt tears prick her own eyes, but had to resist. "I totally get it, Red. I love my parents, too, so I understand why you don't wanna leave your mom, especially since she'll be all alone. Still," She let him go to look up at his face, tear lines like rivers down his cheeks. "you're not leaving her forever. You're gonna come back, it's not a permanent thing! Besides, you can visit her. I'll be visiting my parents, too."

"That doesn't make a difference, Cass." He closed his eyes, sighed, and opened them in an attempt to make them less glassy. "I just want to live in Pallet Town for the rest of my life, okay? I know it's boring, but it's what I know and love."

"Red, everyone has to get out of their comfort zone sometimes." Man, Red thought. How's she this wise, at thirteen? "I had to when I moved here. I left all my friends back in Johto, and it killed me inside, but look what happened! I made new friends, for better," She lightly tapped his forehead, eliciting a laugh. "or worse, in the esteemed Mr. Oak's case." She said Blue's name in a mocking tone like Red had.

That's why she's so wise. She's experienced it before, Red realized as her words flowed around him. He chuckled and found himself laughing. "You really know how to make me feel better. Thanks."

"No trouble, Red. I want you to be yourself, but you gotta try new things."

"I know, I know. I'm still not completely on board, but I'll think about it more. I'll talk to mom, too."

"Good," Cassie chirped. "I think it's getting late, though. You should probably head out."

Red looked at the clock above her bed, which read a quarter 'till five. "Oh, jeez, you're right! Mom'll have dinner ready in a half hour, probably."

"Yeah, definitely," Cassie mumbled, her hands behind her back. "Just one more thing."

"What?"

Without warning, she placed her lips on his. It wasn't sensual or overpowering, just a light, chaste kiss. Red was so blown back, but at the same time he didn't want to move, so he settled for standing there, half-assedly returning her kiss.

"Cassie, honey. It's time for Red to go home, we're gonna eat soon."

Luckily, the two teens were quick enough to separate when Cassie's mom came upstairs.

" _Damn, that was close!"_ Red thought to himself in panic.

" _Waaay too close."_ Cassie found herself thinking, too.

* * *

Red was halfway home before he felt it was safe to celebrate.

" _She KISSED me! Oh, my god, she kissed me!"_ Red's thoughts blasted through his head and he ran home in glee, almost skipping. He wanted to tell everyone, but he didn't want any rumors to float about because of anything he said.

Red opened the front door to the house, trying to not slam it. "I'm home, mom."

"Hi, honey! Dinner's on the table."

The two of them started dinner, which was a vegetarian meal with rice and tofu. Meat dishes were a bit of a rarity in Kanto since the meat source was Pokémon. Nonetheless, some Pokémon were only bred for food, but many people were traditionally vegetarian because of the cultural inclination against killing Pokémon for food.

"So, honey," Red's mom said between bites. "how was your day?"

Red so badly wanted to say, " _Cassie kissed me I'm so happy holy crap!"_ but he had to restrain himself. "It was pretty normal. I walked Cassie home and we did homework, that's all."

"Aw, how sweet of you, Red! I'm so glad my son is kind to his friends, especially his female friends." She reached across the table tap the top of his hand. "So…you like her?"

Red nearly hacked the water he just drank out of his mouth, his cheeks lighting up like a firework show gone wrong. "N-no, mom! She's my friend, okay?"

"My son is getting so big!" She gushed. "She's such a sweet girl, I'm so glad you like her!"

"Mom, did you just ignore what I said?!"

"Oh, honey," She stood up and took her plate to the sink as she continued to dote on her embarrassed son. "I know how you look at her, sweetie. You care about her a lot."

Red wanted to protest, but she was right. He _did_ care about her, and he really did have feelings for her. "O-okay, I guess I kinda like her…"

"I knew it!" She was silent for a moment. "...did you kiss her?"

" _MOM!"_ Red nearly shouted. "You're so embarrassing!"

* * *

Red continued to defend himself against his mother's onslaught of romantic talk, but once the dust settled, he sat down on the living room couch with her and told her about what had happened with Blue earlier that day.

"Oh, Red," She pulled him in, hugging his right side while sitting. She was warm and smelled like lilac soap. "you shouldn't have to deal with that. I honestly think Blue's a little…jealous of you and Cassie."

"Jealous? What's he got to be jealous of? He's constantly got girls on his tail, he's the grandson of the most famous researcher in the region, and he's in the top five best students in the class! What do Cass and I have that he doesn't?"

"You're looking at her, Red." She stood up, her hands on her hips. "I honestly think it's because he hasn't seen his parents in so long, he's jealous that you and Cassie have families to go home to."

Red wasn't buying it. "He's got Daisy and the professor, though."

"True, but they aren't parents. It's not the same, honey."

* * *

Red dwelled on his mother's words the rest of the night as he got ready for bed. He stared into the mirror, truly questioning the reason that Blue had turned against them was that of something like jealousy.

Red took a good, long look at himself in the mirror. While he wasn't exactly like a model for a fashion magazine, Red was a relatively handsome young man. He had sandy-brown hair, brushed up and away from his face. He wasn't able to wear a hat to hide it at school, so he had to keep it under control. He had chiseled, but still boyish face. He attributed that to him being only thirteen.

Am I really good enough for her, though?

The thought raced through Red's mind like a Dodrio hyped on performance-enhancing drugs. He no longer had any doubt in his mind that Cassie had feelings for him after what happened earlier. Despite that, he still felt that he wasn't worthy of her. The look on her face when he said that he didn't want to be a Pokémon trainer almost hurt him physically. He never wanted her to look like that again.

"Maybe…I should," He looked down at his open hand, boyish and young, but nicked and scarred in certain places from his misadventures the past few summers. He had fallen out of a tree, fallen on driveways several times, played with rocks and sticks, just to name a few things.

"I guess I should sleep on it." Red finally snapped out of his trance, deciding to go to bed. It was around ten, and he was exhausted from the day's events, both physically and emotionally.

Red stared at the blank white ceiling of his room as he tried to fall asleep. Kanto was such a big country, and it took the average teenager at least a year to complete a Pokémon journey. It was typically longer because of distractions and problems that come up, such as family and school-related things.

Maybe this was the best way to get back at Blue? To beat him at his own game. Red didn't wish bad on Blue, but the thought of him groveling at Cassie's feet and asking for forgiveness was a pleasant thought.

" _I guess I'll do it. For her."_

 **April 4** **th** **, 1996**

Red wiped the sweat from his brow as he tried his best to calm himself. He wasn't the only one who was nervous, though. The kids around him, who were anywhere from ten to as old as seventeen or eighteen, were expressing their own nervousness as well. A girl wearing jeans and a button-up top was chewing the nail on her thumb. A young man a few seats ahead of Red wouldn't stop kicking his leg against a chair, filling the room with a constant thumping noise. It was annoying, but everyone was afraid to say anything for fear of angering the proctor.

Speaking of the proctor, he entered suddenly, snapping everyone to attention.

"Alright, everyone," his voice was smooth and kind, despite his position of power. "Here's how this is gonna work. I'll call your name, you come up and get your scoresheet and license, and you're free to go. If I don't call your name, that means you didn't pass. If you didn't pass, you go home and try again next year. Don't try and argue results. If you do, I'll make sure you never are able to take this test again."

Red felt a cold sweat run down his neck, and one of the girls in the room squealed. He turned to his left and saw Blue leaning in his chair, an arrogant smirk plastered to his face. Blue happened to see him, and shot him a wink.

"All right, here we go." The Proctor pushed up his glasses and picked up the small stack of paper in front of him. "Lawson, Cheyanne?"

A shorter girl in a blue skirt sped-walked up and took the sheet without a word. After she left the room, Red heard muffled screams of delight.

"Michaels, Andrew? Dayton, Gregory? Sakaki, Silver?"

The three kids mentioned picked up their sheets and ran out excitedly, except for the last one. He had stern, grey eyes and red hair, Red noticed. He calmly took his sheets and left.

"Oak, Blue?"

To no one's surprise, Blue sat up at his desk with a loud show of noise, strutted up to the podium, and took his sheet. As he walked out, he winked at Red again.

Red turned to his right and saw Cassie, now affectionately called Leaf. Despite Blue getting his license first, she didn't show an ounce of fear in her face. She stared the proctor in the eyes, determination flashing brightly.

"West, Michaela?"

An older-looking girl walked up and took her papers. Despite her mature façade, Red could see the tears forming in her eyes as she walked out of the room.

The proctor paused for a moment, and Red was sure that was the end of it. He and Leaf wouldn't get in, but Blue would. That wasn't the worst thing in the world, actually. They could finish high school together away from Blue, and they could be happy together. They could go steady, and maybe after a few years he would ask her to marry him-

"Greene, Cassandra?"

That was her name. Her full name.

Red whipped his head around to Leaf, who covered her hands with her mouth. With shaky steps, she walked up to the proctor's podium and took the sheets from his hand. Without warning, she bolted out of the room.

Red stopped listening after that. He read off a few more names before placing his hand down on the podium with a dull thud.

"All right, that's it. Thank you to all who participated, and I hope you try again next year."

That was it. Blue and Leaf made it, but he didn't. It fell on Red like a rock slide, and it hurt. Not because he wasn't going on a Pokémon journey, but because he would be friendless, and have to finish up high school in Pallet Town alone.

" _It's not fair…it's not fair!"_

"It's not…!"

"Sir!"

Before Red could finish his sentence, a man in a lab coat rushed in the room. "We had a screw-up! There's a couple more!"

"Really? You guys need to recalibrate the machines." The proctor took the sheets from the man, who quickly dashed out of the room. "Damn eggheads, I hate working with them…"

He cleared his throat. "All right, quit bawling. We have a few more here."

The room was quiet again. You could hear a pin drop, it was so quiet.

Red felt a seed of hope being planted in his gut, but he wasn't confident in its ability to grow. After all, it would be crazy if-

"Anderson, Red?"

The whole world stopped as Red heard his name. He didn't care about anything else, as long as he and Leaf could be together, even if that time together was a Pokémon journey. He had passed.

Red shakily sat up out of his seat and walked up to the proctor.

"Well, take it. You earned it, kid."

Red couldn't stop shaking. With his uncertain hand, he took the papers.

"No need to get all emotional, kid. Good luck on being a trainer!"

The proctor's smile finally broke Red. He ran out, fighting back tears.

0.4

Red kept running until he smashed through the doors of the school building and almost fell on his face in the parking lot.

"Yeah!" He yelled at nothing in particular. "I got my license!"

"Geez, you don't have to shout, Red!"

He recognized the voice well. It was Leaf, who was carrying her own set of papers as she ran up to him. "We all passed. I told you we would."

While embarrassed that he had been wrong, Red was nonetheless too happy to care. "This is great, though. You and I can go on an adventure together."

She suddenly hugged him; her smell filled his nostrils, sending him to vanilla and coconut heaven. "We certainly can, but I don't think we're allowed to stay together."

Red couldn't believe his ears. "Wait, why not?! It's cause we're a guy and a girl? What gives?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, I think so. It was in the fine print of the contract we signed for our licenses. Since we're minors, we can't travel together unless we have an equal number of boys and girls."

"That's so stupid!" Red kicked the dirt, sending rocks and debris flying away from them. "I-I wanted to travel with you! Heck, if I had to travel with Blue's arrogant self to travel with you, I would."

Leaf shook her head and pulled him in again. "I know you're upset, but it's gonna be okay, Red. After all, we're leaving from Pallet Town at the same time, right? That means we'll see each other often."

Red wanted to cry and scream at the thought of being separated from her, but he knew it would be no use. It tore him up inside knowing that she would be going on a dangerous journey by herself; he knew she was strong, smart, and capable, but he cared about her too much.

"Will you be okay?"

She scoffed in mirth, punching him lightly. "Of course! I'll have my new Pokémon with me. You don't have to worry about me, Red, and you don't have to worry about our friendship. You'll always be special to me, okay?"

He nodded. "You, too. You mean a lot to me."

Leaf's face flushed crimson. "You're making me all embarrassed, stop!" She giggled.

"No way, Cass! I know where you're ticklish, too!" He ran at her.

"Nononono! Please, no, Red! No, please!" She pleaded between giggles. "Red, if you tickle me I'll hit you!"

"Aw, we both know that's an empty threat, Leaf!"

The two young teens chased each other around the parking lot, laughing and screaming in their joy. After all, they had just passed their trainer's exam! There was plenty of reason to celebrate! Red, despite not wanting to be a trainer originally, was now excited at the prospect of journeying indirectly with Leaf.

While he himself didn't know it, his heart did: he loved her.

Blue watched from a sitting position on a nearby hill as Red and Leaf chased each other all the way back home. He felt…indifferent. While he was extremely passionate and excited about Pokémon training, he felt that it was unfair that those two would be slowing him down. " _What a waste of time, the both of them."_ He grumbled to himself. " _What does Gramps see in those two?_

" _Or more importantly, what does he see in Red?"_


	2. Journey Start 1

**I'm back, everyone! I really appreciate the feedback from the last chapter, and I decided to start shortening my chapters. I actually have quite a bit done already, almost 30,000 words, but I'll be breaking it up a bit over the next few weeks, so please be patient! Thanks to Eevee for reviewing, and I will start taking your advice! I honestly don't like theprologue part that much - I think it needs a lot of work. I honestly wanted to throw it out there and get it over with, and hopefully, it wouldn't be too bad. Now, I'll be putting down about 5-6k words at a time as opposed to 10. Hope you guys enjoy! Please leave feedback if possible! I want to know what you guys think, and what you think I can do better! Thanks!**

* * *

 **June 1, 1996 (8:56 AM)**

The sun blazed over Pallet Town's little suburb. It was about nine AM, but that didn't stop it from being too hot, at least for some. At the same time, though, it was a certain blessing for some, including a certain mother of a young teen named Red, who she was desperately trying to wake up.

"Red, honey!" She called from the bottom of the stairs. "It's your big day, let's get a move on! You have to be to the lab by ten!"

The lump underneath the covers groaned in agony. He didn't want to get up, but he did at the same time! He was so tired from not being able to fall asleep the night before and didn't fall asleep until about two in the morning. He wanted to not be bothered for at least another hour, but his mother was persistent.

"Young man, I won't ask you again!" She opened his door, about to scold him. "Oh, you're up!"

Red was "up", all right. Sitting up in bed. "Morning, mom. Can you ask the professor if he can wait a bit?"

"Red…"

"Okay, okay! I'm up!"

Red knew not to challenge his mother when she began to visibly seethe. "Your bag's all packed, honey. Don't forget to withdraw the stuff you bought from the mart the other day as well!"

Red glanced over at his PC, which had Item Storage Technology, meaning he could store physical items by transferring them as data into the computer. He could then pull them out at any PC in the region. "Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome," She smiled at her son. She smiled to avoid letting the tears in her eyes fall.

Red didn't waste any time getting ready. He had gotten new clothes and shoes for his journey, and while he was still pessimistic about the whole arrangement, he felt more confident with new clothes. After freshening up with a shower, he put on his new black t-shirt, freshly washed, along with a red and white vest to go over it. Kanto had hot summers, and he wanted to wear something that wouldn't make him uncomfortable. He had also bought a few pairs of new jeans, as well as a pair of red and black sneakers. To complete his clothes, he picked up the red and white hat his dad had gotten for him years ago. Finally, he slung his new backpack over his back, a yellow over-the-shoulder type with plenty of space for items he could use.

With a sigh, Red stared at his bedroom for what would be the last time in a while. His bed, covered with white sheets and a big quilt that smelled like fresh soap, his little TV with a Super Nintendo game system, as well as his PC, which he had recently received as a gift. Red knew he was pretty spoiled, since he was an only child. His grin slowly fading, he turned off the light and shut the door.

Red meandered downstairs to find his mother eating her breakfast in front of the television, which was playing an unknown movie. There was a plate of eggs and toast on the opposite side of the table, which Red assumed was for him.

"Morning."

It took a couple seconds for her to acknowledge him. "Good morning, dear. Eat your breakfast, okay?"

"Don't have to tell me twice."

Red wasted no time eating his scrambled eggs and toast, while his mother kept her eyes on the screen. From what Red could gather, it was about four boys who were looking for something in their town. In one scene, they were walking across railroad tracks.

"Mom, what movie is that?"

"I'm actually not sure, I just turned to it." She looked at him, her eyes irritated from crying. "It's making me a bit nostalgic, though."

"Come on, mom, don't cry."

She was now focusing on him completely. "I know, I know. I should be happy that my son was chosen for something like this. Besides, you get to be with that Cassie girl, too, right?"

Red's cheeks flushed at the mention of her name. "N-no, apparently not. I mean, we're all going at the same time, but we can't travel _together_."

"Oh, I see," Melancholy washed over her face like a stream of water. "I'm sorry, Red. I knew you were looking forward to being with her, but I guess you guys'll stay in contact, right?"

Red nodded. "Definitely!"

Red's mom looked at the clock before turning back to him in what he could only describe as alarm. "You need to go, honey. It's a fifteen-minute walk to the lab and you only have twenty minutes! Come on, go, go, go!"

"Mom, it's fine! Sheesh, I'll get there on time!" Red protested as him mom pushed him out the door, following closely behind him. Red looked down the road and knew the professor's lab was just a short walk away, it was that short walk that would set him on a new path, a new beginning. He turned back to his mom, who was unable to restrain her tears.

"I'm so happy for you, honey," She spoke, her words strained. "Always look forward, okay? And remember, you can always come home."

"Well, I can't before my second badge, but I'll visit. I'll visit a lot."

She pulled him into a tight hug. Red wanted to release before she did, but she held on so tight he couldn't separate from her for several seconds.

"Mom, I, uh…I gotta go."

"Oh, yes!" She released him from the hug, his arms warm and sleeves creased from the contact. "Go, honey! You don't have much time left, sorry!"

Red took off down the path, his backpack slowing him down slightly. Even with the weight of his new backpack, Red felt like he was flying down the road, weightless and free.

"Bye, Red!"

He looked back and saw his mom waving from the front porch. He waved back as he kept going down the path, knowing what was in store for him at the lab.

* * *

Red was about halfway down the path before he saw Leaf.

"Heeyyy!"

His yell caught her attention, and she yelled back. "Red, hey!"

He stopped right next to her, hands on his knees, panting. "Hey…"

"You actually got up on time? Who are you, and what have you done with the Red I know?" She smirked, her tone playful. She had gotten new clothes herself: A blue collared tank top, a red skirt, and a hat with a premier ball (like a pokéball but white with red interior) design, as well as a yellow shoulder bag, much like Red's backpack. Red had to resist the urge to stare.

"Hey, that's hurtful!" He snarked, placing his finger on his chin. "Especially coming from you, Miss Cassie "I sleep in until twelve on Saturdays" Greene.

"Hey, jerk!" She tapped his arm with her fist. "That was only a couple times!"

"A couple? More like a ton."

"Shut up!"

The two laughed and chatted as they made their way to the professor's lab. Professor Samuel Oak's lab building was a bit larger than a house with a single story but had a huge fenced property for keeping Pokémon and studying them. It had a big shingled roof and a white cinderblock foundation. Red and Leaf had both been inside a number of times, but never in the research area and only the living space.

"Well, this is it." Red broke the silence.

"Yeah." Leaf replied.

Looking up at the building, Red felt as though it wanted to crush him and Leaf, and he didn't know why. Maybe it was the nerves?

"Let's go, we can't keep the professor waiting." Leaf spoke up again, fiddling with the hem of her skirt.

"Yeah."

The two opened the front screen door that led to the inside of the lab, stepping inside with nervous steps.

"Professor?" Red called out.

There was no answer, but the two continued before them was a nice foyer area that had a staircase leading up both to the left and right. They knew this was because the second floor was where the professor, Daisy, and Blue lived.

The followed the carpeted floors towards the double doors in front of them. With hesitation, they opened them, and had to run inside to get in before the door closed, it was so heavy.

"Professor?" Red called again. "We're here!"

"Quit yelling, Red! Get up here!"

In the near distance, there was a familiar face: Blue. He stood, arms crossed over his black collared shirt. "Gramps isn't here! He's up and disappeared!"

While Leaf and Red didn't like Blue and rarely talked to him, they had formed what could be classified as a 'truce' between them, resulting in Blue being more…civil. They ran up to him, even more confused than before. "What do you mean he disappeared?"

Blue shrugged. "Beats me! Gramps is always doing stupid stuff I don't understand, anyway. Why don't you go find him?"

Leaf's eyes narrowed and she put her hands on her hips. "Why us? He's _your_ grandpa."

He shrugged again, as though he had trademarked it. "Because it isn't my problem, okay? If you give him enough time, he'll come back on his own."

Leaf groaned as she sat down in a nearby chair. The carpeted room had bookcases and a few tables in it, as well as a healing machine for Pokémon. One of the tables had something on it that was covered in a sheet. "What're we gonna do, then? Leave it to the professor to give us a required meeting time only for him to miss it, not us."

"I'll go find him."

Blue and Leaf whipped their heads back at Red, who was setting his backpack down. "What?"

"I'll go look around town, so watch my stuff, okay?" Red walked up to Blue, his hands in his pockets. "Don't try anything funny, Blue."

"Hey, hey, I won't, man. Go do whatever, we'll be here."

"Be careful, Red!" Leaf called out as Red ran out, the large doors shutting with a loud slam.

Blue and Leaf were alone and dead silent. Leaf sat on a chair, her elbows on her knees.

"So, uh," Blue broke the silence, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. "You sleep well?"

* * *

Red didn't know where to start, honestly. Maybe the professor was out grabbing snacks, so the grocery store was an option. Maybe he went to the bank or something? While Pallet Town was small, it still took an hour or so to go through every major area in the town, and in the heat of the summer, it would be exhausting.

Red decided to check with Daisy, first. He went into the living area of the lab and found Daisy drinking tea in the living room.

"Hi there, Red!" She spoke in her sweet voice, the opposite of her brother's nasally tone. "Need something?"

"Where's the professor? He's not here and we're on time."

She looked up in thought, setting her teacup down. "I'm not sure. He said something about running an errand, so he's probably in town."

Red groaned internally. That could be anywhere! "Okay, thanks, Daisy!"

"Red, wait-!" She couldn't get out what she wanted to say in time, he was already gone.

"I felt the temptation to spoil Grandpa's surprise, but I guess I shouldn't." She snickered to herself, resuming sipping her tea.

* * *

Red's hat was the only thing protecting him from the sun, which he had been running around in for the past fifteen minutes.

He checked around the residential areas, didn't find him. He checked at the market and the post office, still didn't find him. There was no Pokémart or Pokémon Center in town, so he couldn't check there. He finally considered one more plausible option.

He was around the town exit, or on Route 1.

Route 1 wasn't a terribly dangerous area, and it was where many trainers started their journey after receiving a Pokémon from the professor. It had very few Pokémon, and was a steady climb up, with hills and ledges and plenty of grass. Nonetheless, people weren't allowed to go unless they were driving a car or they had Pokémon. Red had neither.

"I guess this is where we'll leave town…" Red mulled to himself. His mind wandered back to his mother, and her tears at him leaving. He was forced to swallow his emotions about leaving in order to keep moving, but he wanted nothing more than to stay. He didn't want this, but unfortunately, he had to. For Leaf, for the law, and ultimately, for himself as well.

"Maybe the professor did leave town. There's a Pokémart in Viridian City, so he could've went to pick up some items and such."

Red considered his options. He could wait here for the professor on nothing more than a dumb hunch, or he could go out on his own and risk being attacked. Wait, what if the professor was in danger? He's not the sprightliest guy around, maybe he was being held up by wild Pokémon?

Red swallowed his fear as he gazed up at the gate leading out of the town and therefore, safety. It appeared to grow in size, wrapping around Red and the area he stood in. Shaking his head, Red began to walk towards the gate.

Five steps.

Four steps.

Three steps.

Two steps. He was right there.

One step.

"Stop, Red!"

Red nearly flew in the air in surprise as the man of the hour himself, Professor Samuel Oak, appeared from behind a nearby house, running towards him. His white lab coat was flapping behind him almost heroically as he dashed up to the young man. "Red, you did it! Excellent!"

Whoa, Red was so confused. "D-did what?"

"You passed my little test!" The professor grinned as he fixed his grey hair.

Test?

"I decided to test you three kids, and the results were certainly interesting!" He put his hand on Red's shoulder. It was a bit wrinkled and pale, but he had a strong grip. "I'll explain as we go back to the lab."

Red's confusion didn't subside as he and the professor turned back in the other direction. Red just hoped he would hurt himself in it, as many Pokémon did.

* * *

Professor's Oak's explanation was what Red needed to understand the situation. The older man didn't mean any harm or malice by not showing up, he merely wanted to see who would go out and try to find him, and possibly try to leave town in the process.

"Red, I'm actually quite proud of you. You took the initiative!" The professor hummed happily as he and Red approached the lab. "I had low expectations for my grandson," His mood soured a bit. "but I figured that you or that young lady Cassie would go the extra mile! Great work!"

Red was a bit embarrassed to be showered in praise like that. "It was nothing, professor! I guess I just took what my mom always told me to heart: make the first move."

"That's good advice, my boy!" The professor opened one of the double doors to the lab with ease, as if he'd been doing it for years. Oh, wait, he has been, Red thought.

The two stepped inside, and the temperature change was immediately evident. "Ah, I love my air conditioning!" Professor Oak laughed.

The professor continued on towards the lab, with Red in tow. How could such a smart, accomplished man be this…eccentric, Red thought. Surely, he was just joking around a bit? After all, no professional would make children chase after him like that? Right?

"I'm back!" The professor opened the large double doors with a hearty slam.

"Gramps!"

"Professor!"

Blue and Leaf's voices could be heard in the back of the lab, along with some aides that were working nearby. Blue stormed up to the professor, angrier than a wet meowth.

"Are you serious, grandpa?!" He snarled, his arms at his sides. "I'm fed up with waiting! I wanna get this journey started already!"

Leaf came up to the group as well, albeit more calmly. "Blue, relax! It's not like he was gone the whole day." Leaf huffed. She turned her attention to Red. "Nice work, Red. Not only did you find the professor, but you set off Spiky over here…"

"I heard that, Greene!"

"Alright, alright, that's enough. Follow me, you three."

The three kids followed the professor through his lab and towards the table that had been covered by a sheet, but said sheet had been removed. Instead, there sat three individual pokéballs, about a foot apart from each other. They glistened in the artificial light from above, and the deep red plastic on the tops seemed to draw Red in with their symmetry.

"Now, you three were some of the very few who received trainers licenses this year, and you're also the last ones to leave!" The professor laughed. "Nonetheless, since there are three of you, and there are three Pokémon here! There just a few that were left from my career as a trainer years ago!"

"Cut to the chase, gramps…" Blue mumbled, tapping his foot.

"Be patient, Blue. Patience is a virtue that all Pokémon trainers must learn some time or another. Anyway, I will be gifting you with your very first Pokémon. These Pokémon were specifically chosen as the Kanto Region's official "Starter Pokémon", meaning they are given to new trainers starting out…"

Professor Oak kept talking, but Red snuck a look over to Leaf, who had her eyes fixated on the pokéballs. She was shaking just barely, and her hand kept clenching and unclenching in an unknown emotion. Fear? Excitement? Anticipation? Red was feeling all of those and then some at the moment.

"…alright, my spiel is over. I don't wanna talk your ears off, or you'll never make it to Viridian City by nightfall!" He walked over behind the table where the pokéballs were placed. "Red, you have first pick, young man."

"What?"

"What?!"

Red and Blue both spoke up at once, the former in surprise and the latter in disgust. "Come on, gramps! Why does he get first pick? I'm your grandson, _and_ I'm the only one here who actually wants to be here! I should get first pick!"

"Blue, what did I tell you about patience?" The professor's tone shifted from jolly to stern in a flash. "Red gets to pick first because he passed my little test, something you failed. You and Cassie can decide amongst yourselves who will go next, but Red goes first because I said so. Is that clear?"

Blue scoffed and rolled his eyes, but nodded.

Red walked to the table, unsure of how he should react. It didn't feel fair that he was the one to go first, but he felt accomplished because he had beaten Blue at something.

"Professor?" He spoke up.

"What's wrong, Red? Having a hard time picking?" The professor chuckled.

"No, I was just wondering if I could pass my privilege of going first to someone else."

The professor cocked his head in confusion. "What makes you say that?"

Red shrugged. "I dunno, I'm just a little indecisive, and I want to take my time. So, I think Le-er, Cassie should go first."

They all turned to Leaf, whose face began to flush from the attention. "N-no, Red, you should go first! Don't worry about me!"

"But I want you to go first, Cass." Red crossed his arms. "I'm not doing this 'cause I want to, remember? We have to do this journey, and since you're more dedicated than me, you should get first choice."

Leaf shook her head, still smiling. "No, Red. You get first choice cause the professor said so." She looked to Blue, who was tapping his feet faster than ever. "Besides, Red, if you don't pick soon, Spiky here will explode." She laughed.

"Somebody get me a barf bag, cause you two are making me sick with your lovey-dovey nonsense!" Blue made a retching motion. "Just _pick_ , Red!"

Red and Leaf immediately recoiled at the comment about being romantic.

"Shut up, Blue!"

"Lovey-dovey? Ew!"

"Alright, that's enough."

The three turned back to the professor, who while appeared to be amused, but was also fit to be tied. "I'm putting my foot down. Red, you're picking first, and then Blue, be a gentleman and decide with Cassie who will go second and third."

Red sighed, while Blue and Leaf merely shrugged.

Red stepped forward once again, his steps unsure and weak. These three Pokémon were all very different and interesting, as he had learned in the trainer's school. Not only that, but each Pokémon was very different in its personality, much like how humans were. This Pokémon could be lazy and unmotivated, quiet and taciturn, or passionate and wrathful, and anything in between. Even the smallest of Pokémon could wield great power.

Red reached down and picked up the ball on the farthest right. It felt cool to the touch and the plastic surface was smooth and shiny, but Red couldn't help but feel that there was a sleeping behemoth inside the little sphere, something dangerous.

"Ah, you've picked up Charmander, the lizard Pokémon!" The professor walked up to him on the opposite side of the table. "Charmander is a strong Pokémon, but it's tough to raise, Red. I understand you're not enthusiastic about wanting to be a trainer, Red, so maybe Charmander isn't a good choice."

Red mulled it over. While certainly the concept of a hard-to-raise Pokémon really disinterested him, maybe it was a good thing? Since Charmander was apparently so hard to raise, maybe that would provide him with the excuse he needed to end his journey early. That's it, Red thought. With any luck, he could convince Leaf to quit as well.

"No, it's the one I want professor. I choose Charmander."

"Well," The professor chuckled, if a bit uncertainly. "that's your decision, Red. Good choice! I hope you raise it well."

Red took the pokéball with shaky hands and stared at it, wondering if he could see the Pokémon inside of it. He was merely greeted with the bright red top of it, shining in the light.

"Here, Red," The professor reached for the ball. "let me show you how it works."

Red let the professor take the ball into his aged hands, and with a swift press of the button on the front, it expanded in size, to around the same size as a softball. With a grunt, the professor threw it in the air, and with a flash of light, it opened, and out came a bright, white light, which soon materialized on the ground as the Pokémon Charmander.

Charmander was a small, reptilian Pokémon, orange in color, with big, beady eyes and little fangs and claws. It's most striking feature was its long tail, which had a brightly lit flame on the end. The little Pokémon stood up and meandered towards Red, growling softly and cooing as he nuzzled close to his new trainer.

"Ah, he likes you!" The professor laughed. "Not all Pokémon will immediately bond with you, kids, but these Pokémon are very young and new to the world, so they should get along with you just fine. They're a bit like you three: fresh, greenhorn trainers without much experience."

"Wow, Red! It's your actual Pokémon, now!" Leaf clapped her hands as she ran up to him and his newly acquired Charmander. "He's so cute!"

She offered the little creature her hand, which he licked lightly, cooing and purring.

"So adorable! Not as cute as Bulbasaur, though." She winked at him.

"You think he's that cute?" Red laughed nervously. "I just hope he'll cooperate."

Blue scoffed as he made his way over to the table "If you two are going to be so preoccupied with a silly Pokémon like Charmander, then allow me to show you a _real_ Pokémon!"

With one fluid motion, Blue took the pokéball next to the where the one Charmander had been resting, and threw it into the air, releasing another young Pokémon. This time, it was a small, blue Pokémon with stubby arms and feet, a round, hairless head, and a big, red shell that covered most of its body. The look was completed with a tail the same color as its body.

"Come, Squirtle!" Blue called.

" _Turr?_ " The little, blue turtle Pokémon replied. Thankfully, it recognized Blue as its trainer and ran headlong into his arms.

"I choose Squirtle, then." Blue snarked, sticking his tongue out at Red.

"Blue, you and Cassie were supposed to agree on who would choose next!" The professor fumed. "I can't believe this!"

"Professor, it's fine!" Leaf stepped forward, waving her hand as she reached for the last one. "I wanted the final Pokémon, anyway! It's been the one I've wanted for years!"

"Oh, uh…" The professor backed away. "If you say so, young lady!"

"Yep!" Leaf turned towards the empty space in front of her where Blue and the professor had released the other Pokémon. "My turn!"

She tossed the pokéball in the air, as the others had done before, and out from it came the same white light. This time, it materialized into a small, green, quadrupedal creature, with a reptilian face and little claws; it's most striking feature was a large, green, plant bulb on its back. The bulb seemed to take up most of the space it occupied.

"Saurrr…" It gurgled, turning towards Leaf.

"Hi, Bulbasaur! I'm your new trainer!" Leaf giggled as she leaned over to pet it.

"Surr…" It growled, licking Leaf's hand with its pink tongue. It appeared to be sleepy more than anything.

"Good, er…" Leaf lost her sentence halfway through. "Is it a boy or a girl, professor?"

"I believe all of them are male, at least most likely. Pokémon that are designated as Starter Pokémon are male a majority of the time, for some reason. I guess it's in their species." The professor walked back to a machine behind the table. "Now, I have something else to give you three."

The trio turned their attention back to the professor, their newly acquired Pokémon in tow. Charmander had snuggled up to Red's legs, while Squirtle stayed in Blue's arms. Bulbasaur, on the other hand, was sleeping in Leaf's arms.

"These," he pointed to the now opened spherical dome, revealing three red mechanical devices that looked a bit like books. "are the Pokédex! They are, at least, in their completed form. They're empty right now, but I want to give you three the job of filling them up! This was a lifelong dream of mine, to make an encyclopedia of all Pokémon in the world, but now I'm too old, and I'm cooped up in this lab." He laughed as he gathered them in his old, capable hands. "So, here!" He had thrust them into the younger, probably-less-capable hands of the three kids in front of him. Red, then Blue, and then Leaf.

"Filling the pokédex, huh? Sounds like it won't be too hard, then." Blue turned to Red and Leaf, pokédex in hand and Squirtle resting on his shoulders. "I'll just say this now, then: Red, Leaf, I don't need you guys. I'll personally fill this pokédex and fulfill my grandpa's dream, and I'll be the greatest trainer in the world. So, I guess I'll smell ya later."

Blue returned Squirtle to its pokéball with a red flash of light and bolted out of the double doors.

The professor sighed. "What a kid," He mumbled.

"So, what's next, professor?" Leaf asked, returning her Bulbasaur to its ball.

"Your next stop is Viridian City, kids. Blue already knew that, so he doesn't need to stay and listen to me anymore." He walked the two out, taking in the midday sun. "I wish you two the best on your journey. I'll accompany you to the gate if you don't mind."

The professor, Red, and Leaf slowly made their way to the Pallet Town gate, all the while Red was with his thoughts. He looked down to the lizard-like Pokémon at his feet, who was keeping up with an unsteady pace. Red could see himself almost in the little creature, with its young, naïve eyes and tottering steps. The difference between the two was Red was just a kid, and he didn't have any special powers. He was just a normal, weak kid. What could he possibly accomplish, even with Pokémon at his side?

I guess that's what I'm supposed to find out, he thought.

The three made it to the city limits, where the path to Route 1 lay in front of them, like the maw of a diabolical creature ready to swallow them.

"Alright, this is as far as I go, kids," The Professor crossed his arms, smiling. "Look at you two, you've grown up so much since I've first seen you, especially you, Red. I just wish my grandson would be more willing to get along with you two, but he's an Oak, I guess…"

"It's really okay, professor. A little competition never hurt anyone, right? A little rivalry?" Leaf chirped, her hands placed behind her back shyly.

"You've got a good point, dear. Now, if you don't mind, I have many things to do! I'm a busy, busy old man! Good luck, you two!" He called out as he turned back. "If you need anything, call me at a Pokémon Center! The phone is free to use!"

Leaf and Red watched as the professor became a smaller and smaller blip in their field of vision. Red's heart began to ease as his nervousness faded, and he could see the goosebumps on Leaf's smooth arms begin to fade as well.

"Red?"

"Eh?" Red snapped back at Leaf's voice.

"Come on, let's go. It's already noon, and we gotta get to Viridian City by nightfall, remember?"

"Yeah, uh, yeah…you're right." Red mumbled as he turned back towards the gate. "Let's go, Leaf."

She giggled at his absentmindedness. "Yeah, sounds good!"

"Hold up a minute!"

Red and Leaf turned around to see none other than Blue, who had apparently meandered his way to the exit as well. "Don't think you're going to leave town without battling me, Red."

"Battling you?" Red's eyebrow perked. "Why should I? You've been nothing but a neck pain this entire time."

Blue shrugged. "'Cause you'll look bad in front of your girl, right?"

"What?!" Leaf's face flushed. "Blue, shut your mouth! Red doesn't have to prove anything to you!"

"No, Leaf. I'll battle him."

"Huh?" She walked around to face him, her eyes boring into his. "Red, you don't have to fight for me, okay? I'll fight for myself."

"Leaf, I'm not gonna battle right now for your sake," Red pulled Charmander's ball from his belt with a soft snap. "I'm battling for me right now." He looked past her to Blue. "I'm sick of your taunting! Let's go, Blue!"

"Sounds like fun." The young man replied, taking a pokéball from his own belt. "Squirtle!"

He launched the ball into the air, which released the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. Squirtle seemed to be just as ready to battle as its trainer, standing in a way that looked like it was about to pounce.

"C-Charmander!" Red threw his own pokéball in the air, releasing Charmander. The little Pokémon was a tad confused, but as soon as it saw its opponent, it's little eyes hardened into a sharp glare, and its tiny claws extended with a barely audible noise.

The two trainers and their Pokémon stared each other down for several seconds, waiting for the other to make the first move. The outskirts of town were often a place of battle because of the dirt road and lack of grass. Leaf stood several feet away on the sidelines, watching them with anticipation.

" _Come on, Red. You can do this!"_ She thought furiously, clenching her fist.

"If you're not going to attack, Red, I will!" Blue pointed in his opponent's direction. "Squirtle, ram it!"

"Ram it?" Red thought out loud. "Charmander, watch out!"

It was too late, though, as Squirtle launched its entire body into Charmander, sending it flying a few feet back towards Red. It didn't seem terribly fazed, though, and stood right back up, a small bruise forming on its stomach.

"Charmander, uh…" Red didn't know exactly what to do. All of the battling lessons from the school were leaving him. "Growl at it!"

Charmander reared its head back and released a shrieking, high-pitched snarling noise, making Squirtle cover its ears. He had learned in the school that some Pokémon could use skills that would lower and raise their battle attributes, such as offense and defense, in the school, and Growl was a move that many, many Pokémon could use.

"Ram it again!"

"Charmander, Scratch!"

Before Squirtle could make contact, Charmander raked its claws across the front of its face and neck. The collision sent them both back, but Charmander had taken more damage. The little fire Pokémon was beginning to breathe heavily, and its body was covered in scratches and bruises.

"Don't give up, Charmander!" Red called to his Pokémon.

" _Cha!_ " Charmander turned back to Red, winking. Whether the wink was intentional or not, Red didn't know.

"Tackle it again!"

" _So, it's Tackle!"_ Red realized as Squirtle threw itself at Charmander for the third time. "Try and dodge!"

Red's command registered with Charmander just in time, as it leaped away from Squirtle's attack perfectly. The Water-type Pokémon crashed into the ground, recoiling from its own force.

"Scratch, again!"

Charmander raised its claws like an executioner's axe at a guillotine, bringing them down several times against Squirtle's body and shell. Little marks were beginning to show on Squirtle's blue skin, along with some blood.

"Squirtle, come on! Tackle!"

Squirtle leaped up and pushed Charmander back, and charged again.

"Focus, Charmander! Scratch!"

Another perfectly timed attack. Charmander brought its claws down on Squirtle as its body made contact with Charmander's, pushing the former away slightly while sending Charmander sprawling. Both Pokémon remained on the ground for several seconds. Red considered calling a draw before Charmander slowly rose to its feet, panting and huffing.

"What?! Squirtle, no!" Blue recalled his Pokémon, hanging his head in shame. "I can't believe it! It's like I picked the wrong one!"

"Nice work, Charmander!" Red ran up to his Pokémon, pulling it into his arms. He was covered in dirt and bruises, but Charmander appeared to be just as pleased as Red about the victory.

" _Char!"_ He growled softly as Red returned him into his pokéball.

"Great work, Charmander."

"Hey, Red!"

Red looked up at his opponent while placing the pokéball back on his belt. Leaf also ran up to join them. Blue walked over to Red his hands in his pockets, but a smile on his face. "Not a bad show, Red. You're more of a fighter than I thought."

"R-really?" Red chuckled. "That was actually kind of fun."

"Glad to hear it, but don't get cocky 'cause you won." Blue sneered. "That was just a fluke. I'll beat you next time."

"Blue, don't diminish Red's victory." Leaf admonished, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He smacked her hand away. "Get lost, Leafy. I wasn't talking to you. Might see you guys in Viridian. Don't get eaten by the Rattata on Route 1. Smell ya later."

Blue walked away as Red mulled his victory in silence. He had won his first Pokémon battle! How on earth did he do that?! He had scored lower than average on battling aptitude on the test, but somehow, he pulled out a win, albeit a really close shave of a win.

"Red, nice job!" Leaf took his hand in hers, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I knew you could win!"

He was shocked at her touch but grateful. "T-thanks. I guess we should take care of Charmander, right?"

"Y-yeah, definitely. Let's get him patched up before we go."

"Sounds like a plan.


	3. Journey Start 2

**Howdy, everyone! I'm actually posting this from Miyazaki, Japan! I'm currently doing a study abroad program here, but that doesn't mean I can't update! Don't worry, I have free time. Thanks for the feedback so far, as well as the likes and follows! Please review!**

 **June 1, 1996 (1:30 PM)**

It hadn't taken but a second to restore Charmander back to its original state since Red had made sure to purchase a potion a week before the day came. Potions were fantastic tools that were indispensable to any trainer's journey: a small bottle of medical fluid that could be sprayed on a Pokémon's body to heal them of their wounds from battle. A couple of spritzes later and Charmander was back to normal.

After attending to Charmander, Red and Leaf began the trek towards Viridian City through Route 1, and in the blazing heat, that was no easy task. It was around 85 degrees outside, and Red and Leaf's hats were the only things keeping them a bit cooler. The path was winding and long, but it made it so that they could avoid the tall grass, where Pokémon tended to be.

"Hey, Red," Leaf panted.

"Yeah?"

"Wanna take a break?"

"…Read my mind."

The two managed to find a large enough tree to sit down against, which provided ample shade. The two teens could immediately feel the temperature difference, and with relieved sighs, they laid down against the trunk of the tree.

"Thank goodness we found some shade," Red chuckled as he put his backpack on his lap, reaching in. "Hey, I've got some snacks. Want some?"

"Only if you've got spares." Leaf replied, shifting her position a little for comfort.

"Here," Red handed her a sealed peanut butter and jelly sandwich, as well as a granola bar. "My mom always packs too much, anyway." He peeked inside. "Whoa, she _definitely_ packed too much. Then again, I'm not just going away for a day or two. There's like, six more sandwiches in there." Red pulled one out for himself.

"Thanks." Leaf tore the wrapping off and bit into the crustless sandwich. "Oh, that's so good. Your mom makes the best sandwiches."

"Haha, yeah. She always loved making sandwiches for all of us during the summer."

Red was about to bite into his own sandwich when they heard a rustling higher up in the tree.

"What was that?" Red suddenly felt uneasy. He reached for Charmander's pokéball.

"Not sure. Might be a Pidgey." Leaf spoke up, reaching for her own pokéball.

The two had encountered several Pokémon on their trek up until that point, where they decided to stay clear of the grass. Both Charmander and Bulbasaur were tired from fighting, despite the Pokémon on the route being relatively weak. Pidgey, Rattata, Caterpie, all first-stage, weaker Pokémon.

"It's gone." Leaf whispered.

"Okay, back to my sandwich!" Red said in glee as he bit down on his lunch. The bread was still soft and chewy, and it had just the right balance between savory peanut butter and sweet grape jelly. Red was enjoying it so much that he almost didn't notice that it had been taken from his hands.

"What, hey!"

Red and Leaf looked up and saw a small bird Pokémon flying away with Red's sandwich in its talons. It was a Pidgey, a brownish-cream colored bird Pokémon around a foot tall.

" _Coo!"_ It sounded as it flew away as if to thank Red for its new lunch.

"Get back here! Charmander!"

Red released Charmander from his pokéball, where it landed around where the Pidgey had taken off.

"Ember!"

Through battling and growing stronger, Pokémon can learn new moves. That's what Red had learned from the trainer's school, but he hadn't seen it in practice until now. Charmander whipped its tail around, sending little bits of fire at the Pidgey. The fire landed right on top of Pidgey's feathers, making it squawk in pain and drop the sandwich into the grass.

"Nice one, Charmander!"

The Pokémon growled happily to the praise, but that didn't mean that the battle was over. Pidgey, now angry, dove for Charmander, slamming its body into it.

"Scratch!"

Despite Pidgey's ramming attack's power, Charmander was simply stronger and more experience in combat. With great force, Charmander raked its claws over Pidgey's front, sending it flying. It collapsed in a heap of feathers, cooing softly.

"All right, here we go." Red enlarged a new, empty pokéball from his backpack. "Go!"

With all his might, Red threw the ball in Pidgey's direction, landing a direct hit. The pokéball opened, releasing a light that engulfed the tiny bird Pokémon, sealing it inside. Once a Pokémon was sealed inside, a pokéball would roll and whir until it could no longer break free. It usually took about five seconds.

One second…

Two seconds…Red was shaking in anticipation.

Three seconds. The ball had rolled twice.

Four seconds.

With a final roll and a five second time, the ball stopped rolling and lay still.

"Nice!" Red ran up to his newly caught Pokémon. "You seem like a feisty little guy, huh, Pidgey? I'm sure you'll do quite well for me."

Leaf clapped her hands as she took one last bite of her sandwich. "Great catch, Red. Where's the sandwich?"

"The sandwich?" Red realized his error, his hands flying to his head. "Shoot! Gotta find my sandwich!" Leaf could only laugh and laugh as the young man dove into the grass to find his lost sandwich.

 **July 1, 1996 (4:00 PM)**

The rest of the journey on Route 1 was not very eventful, but there were some noteworthy things that happened. Leaf had caught herself a Rattata, and her Bulbasaur had learned to use an attack called leech seed, which planted a seed on a foe that drained health from it and gave it to Bulbasaur. It was a pretty savage attack, at least that's what Red thought. The two had also met a clerk from the Pokémart in Viridian City who was on his way to deliver some supplies. He had some surplus, so he gave Red and Leaf a couple potions each. Other than that, nothing of consequence really happened.

The two arrived at the main entrance to Viridian City, a sprawling city that was far bigger than Pallet Town, but still simple in its layout and design. There was also a Pokémon Center, a Pokémart and a Pokémon Gym, where trainers would go to receive badges from gym leaders. After receiving all eight badges in the Kanto region, one would be able to register for challenging the Pokémon League at Indigo Plateau, which was just a few miles west of Viridian City.

Red wasn't concerned about that, though. All he wanted was his first two badges and then to go home, where he could finish up school and possibly do something else with his life other than train Pokémon. Nonetheless, he was patient and knew that he had a good amount of time to do that task. First things always came first, and right now he had to focus on getting his exhausted Pokémon to the Pokémon Center so he could heal them. Luckily, the Pokémon Center in Viridian City was very, very close to the entrance, not even a five-minute walk.

The sliding doors to the Center opened, and the two teens were greeted by a well-lit lobby where a few people were loitering, sitting down on the couches or reading newspapers, or tending to their Pokémon. One young girl had a Rattata on her lap, which had a bandage wrapped around its waist. An older man reading a newspaper. One young man, who looked a bit older than Red and Leaf, was fiddling with an electronic device in his hands.

Red and Leaf made their way up to the counter, where a woman with pinkish-red hair in a side-loop style wearing a white dress greeted them.

"Welcome to our Pokémon Center. Do you need your Pokémon healed, young man?"

Red nodded. "We both do." He pointed to Leaf, who had come up beside him.

"Oh, of course! This'll take a few minutes, so feel free to relax for a while."

That was the best thing he had heard all day, and she didn't need to tell him twice. Red and Leaf nearly collapsed into one of the couches in the center, arching back in exhaustion. It had been a long hike, and neither had any intention of going any further until the next morning.

Red was about to speak, but his stomach did so for him. Loudly.

"Guess I need something to eat," Red laughed, reaching into his bag again. "Still have plenty of food, though!"

Even though Red claimed there was plenty, all he saw in his backpack was a map, a few potions and pokéballs, and an antidote for Pokémon's poison that he had picked up off the ground on Route 1.

"My food! It's all gone!" Red frantically searched the bag, going as far as to dump it out on the ground. Sure enough, there was not a morsel to be found.

"Where did my food go?!" Red's temper flared. He turned to Leaf. "Do you have any idea where it could've gone?!"

She shrugged, but then her face lit up in remembrance. "Wait, you dumped out your bag at the tree to organize it, didn't you?"

"I did?" Red crossed his arms and sat cross-legged on the couch. "Oh, yeah! I thought I lost a potion and I dumped everything out! I must've left my food…"

"Red, it's okay. We'll find something to eat around here. It's Viridian City! There's bound to be something around here."

He nodded, albeit in disappointment. "I know, I just feel bad 'cause Mom made them."

"Red, you're so sweet," Leaf chirped, pinching his cheek playfully. "why can't all boys be as nice as you?"

"Maybe 'cause they don't have girls like you to pinch their cheeks?" Red said, his voice muffled by his cheek being stretched.

"O-oh, sorry," Leaf hadn't realized she was still gripping his face. "Y-yeah, maybe you're right."

The two teens sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, a bit embarrassed at each other's behavior. While Red certainly didn't mind that Leaf would dote on him occasionally, that didn't mean it wasn't extremely embarrassing when she did so. It's like I have a second mother, Red mumbled in his thoughts.

"Sir, ma'am?"

Red and Leaf looked up to see the receptionist had two trays with their pokéballs on them. They walked up to the desk and took them, and Red could've sworn they were shinier than when they had first used them.

"You're Pokémon have been fully healed and are in top shape! Hope you come again soon!" The receptionist smiled warmly.

The two teens took their Pokémon, Red had Charmander and Pidgey, and Leaf had Bulbasaur and Rattata and left the Pokémon Center. It was still pretty hot outside and a bit cloudy, and they had a lot of time in the day left.

"You wanna go check out Route 22?" Red asked.

Leaf shrugged, stretching. Red could see the smooth contours of her body as she put her arms above her head, and couldn't help but feel an attraction to the brunette girl. She was quite pretty, and he had thought so since he had met her. "I think there's a café down the street, Red. Let's get some food."

"Sounds great!"

The two made their way down the big, spacious sidewalks of Viridian City, which house maybe three or four times as many people than in Pallet Town. It was a big shift in scenery, and it was taking Red time to get used to it. One thing that he had quickly come to like about a bigger city was the restaurants, where they found some food: soup and half-sandwiches.

"This is so good…" Red mumbled through bites. "I hope I can eat like this every day while I'm training my Pokémon…"

Leaf shrugged, sipping at her soda. "There might be days you won't even eat, Red. The life of a trainer isn't easy."

Red dropped his french fry in shock. "Won't even eat? That's like saying I'd go a day without breathing, Leaf. Come on!"

She suddenly leaned in, poking his stomach. "You certainly look like you could go a day or two without eating, Red," She winked. "Just kidding!"

The two ate their dinner in peace and decided to do a bit of shopping before heading out to Route 22, where they could camp for the night since there wouldn't be much going on there. The Pokémon Center in the city offered rooms for trainers to stay in for the night, but they were in limited supply, and they had missed the opportunity to rent one. Luckily, Red and Leaf had both packed sleeping bags and had some basic tools for starting a fire.

"Man, I didn't know you got a free premier ball with every ten pokéballs you purchased." Leaf awed at her new white and pink colored capsule device. "I'll have to use it on something really special."

"The clerk said it wasn't any stronger than a regular pokéball, though. Might as well just use it for whatever." Red laughed his hands behind his back.

"Aw, you're no fun!" Leaf pouted. "We can't use the better pokéballs yet, so we should take advantage of the cooler-looking ones now. Besides, doesn't it look awesome?"

The white-colored ball certainly did have a fancy, shiny flair to it, Red admitted to himself, not to mention it matched Leaf's hat. "It matches your hat, at least."

"Ugh, you're hopeless, Red."

Route 22 was a winding, paved road that many a trainer took on their way to Indigo Plateau, a giant building with many battlefields. All of the league battles took place four times a year there, and it was the only place where you could get official matches with the Elite Four, the strongest trainers in the region recognized by the government.

It was around seven, but the sun was still relatively strong in the sky. There were also some grassy patches where wild Pokémon lived.

"You wanna see what Pokémon live around here?" Red asked.

"Sure. Let's check the Pokédex."

Red didn't think that the strange device that the professor gave him would be of much use, but it certainly was! It recorded extremely detailed data on any caught Pokémon, including height, weight, species classification, name, elemental type, and a general description of the Pokémon and its abilities. Red currently had six Pokémon seen, and two caught. Pokémon that were only seen and not caught displayed a picture, as well as where in the region you could find it, but nothing else.

Red was snapped out of his trance by Leaf screaming.

"W-what is it?! Leaf!" He ran in after her, only to find her locked in combat between her Bulbasaur and another unknown Pokémon. It was small, four-legged, and blue-green in color, with little spots and tiny horns on its head. It chuffed and growled, rearing its head and bearing fangs.

"Tackle!"

Bulbasaur ran into it headlong, pushing it back several feet. It responded by raking its claws over Bulbasaur's body.

"Red, the pokédex says it's called a Nidoran, and it's the- Bulbasaur, tackle it again!" She covered her face to block the flying dust. "It's the female form. There's a male form, too!"

"You got this, Leaf! Catch it!"

Leaf's body shook as she reached into her bag for a pokéball. Instead, she pulled out her premier ball on accident. This Pokémon, Nidoran, appeared to be quite strong, according to the pokédex's data, so now was a perfect time. With all her might, she tossed the ball at it, scoring a hit directly on its nose. The ball opened, pulling the creature in with its white light.

"Come on…" Leaf muttered. Bulbasaur too was hoping it would be caught, meaning it could rest.

One shake.

Two shakes. Leaf crossed her fingers.

Three shakes.

Click.

The Nidoran had been captured, and with a laugh, Leaf ran up to her newly captured Pokémon.

"Did you see it, Red!? I caught it!"

"Nice! That was awesome, Leaf!"

Leaf flung herself at Red and embraced him, startling the young boy. "I really did it!"

Red wasn't so sure why Leaf was so excited by one measly capture, but he swung her around nonetheless. She was so close to him, her touch, her smell, her face and hair, all in his arms. It could've lasted an eternity and Red wouldn't have been upset. "That's three down, Leaf! You've gotten good at this."

She separated from him. "Haha, thanks! Truth is, I actually released the Rattata…"

"What, why?!" Red yelped. "It was a new Pokémon!"

Leaf shook her head. "I know, but it really didn't like me. It was scared and frail, and I could tell it didn't want to fight, so I let it go a while back, but now I have two Pokémon for sure!"

She took the premier ball in her hands and threw it, releasing the new Pokémon. It was covered in bruises and shaking, and glared at its new trainer.

"Hi, there, little girl," Leaf got on her knees, pulling out a potion from her bag. "Here, this oughta help."

She spritzed the mixture onto the Pokémon, making sure to cover its whole body. Like magic, the wounds began to seal and disappear, and its tired appearance was replaced with a normal and healthy one. The little Pokémon coughed lightly, and licked Leaf's hand, all the while holding up its glare.

"Precious! You're a sweet thing, you just don't wanna show it." Leaf purred, reaching down to pet it. Its glare disappeared as Leaf rubbed its head and body, all the while it growled in content. Despite having been captured by Leaf so recently, it didn't take long for the little creature to warm up to its new trainer.

"It says it's a Poison-type, Leaf," Red broke the silence. "It also evolves."

"Good, I hope she does! Even though she's cute, I want her to be strong, too."

"That thing? Strong? Great joke, Leafy."

The two teens turned to the voice of, to their shock, Blue, who had appeared to be coming from the opposite direction, as if he had gone to the gates of the League. "How's it going, you two? You're still alive after Route 1? Gotta give you props, then. How're your Pokemon? Hopefully not dead!"

"What do you want, Blue?" Leaf spat as the boy cackled as his own joke. "Besides, what do you know about my new Pokémon anyway? You don't know how strong she is!"

Blue shrugged like the shrugger he was. "You're right, I may not know the power of that one Nidoran you have there, but I can gauge the average level of one with the pokedex, and believe me, it's nothing spectacular." He pulled out the red device and pressed the large, blue button on the face. He showed it to them, and it displayed a picture of the Pokémon that Leaf had just caught, as well as a plethora of other information.

"I caught one too, stupid. There's a male variant as well, but I only caught them for getting the data. Unlike you two slackers, I actually did research before I left on my journey, and I know of several strong Pokémon I want to raise."

Red rolled his eyes. "Good for you, Blue. Still, it doesn't give you the right to come and talk bad about us 'cause we're beginners. You're just starting out as well, you know!"

He tsked three times, wagging his pointer finger. "Oh, Red, I'm just trying to help you guys out a little. Here's my advice: dump that thing and find a new Pokémon, Leafy."

Leaf's eyes widened at the sheer harshness of the statement. "I won't! In fact, you dissing on my new Pokémon only makes me want to keep her more!"

Sure enough, the little bluish Pokémon began to chatter and growl, growing restless in Leaf's arms. It seemed to read into its new trainer's distress and tried to defend her.

"Both Nidoqueen and Nidoking are really neat-looking Pokémon, Leaf. Too bad they're not that strong. I have a book from another famous researcher that says so."

Leaf bit her lip, looking away. "W-which one will I get, though?"

"That's a female, so Nidoqueen, obviously." Blue snarked. "Still, my advice stands. Catch better Pokémon or you're going to lose. All the time."

Red couldn't take it anymore. "You go around, preaching about strong and weak Pokémon, Blue, and yet your Squirtle lost to my Charmander back in Pallet Town, despite the type advantage! So I suggest you get lost!"

Blue's smirked widened. "I did lose, but that was because I was careless. How about you keep that attitude while we battle again?"

"Fine!" Red pulled out Charmander's pokéball, ready for a fight.

"Squirtle."

Blue calmly released his first Pokémon, Squirtle. The small turtle Pokémon didn't appear much different than before, but somehow it felt...stronger. Its stance was tighter, and its movements more streamlined.

"Charmander!"

Red released his own Pokémon, Charmander, which landed gracefully a few feet away from Squirtle, ready for combat.

"Ember!"

Charmander wheeled its tail around its body, launching hot bits of fire at his target. Squirtle didn't even try and dodge, it merely took the attack. The embers bounced off its shell, leaving light singe marks in their wake.

"W-what?!" Red stammered. "Why didn't it do anything?"

"Did you pay attention at _all_ at the school, Red?!" Blue cried in mirth. "Fire attacks don't do anything against Water-type Pokémon! That's basic elemental matchups!"

Blue didn't wait for Red to defend himself. "Squirtle, use bubble!"

The little blue Pokémon reared its head back and started to gargle, forming some kind of liquid in its mouth. Red barely had time to blink before it shot a whitish, frothy liquid at Charmander, soaking it. The little lizard Pokémon cried in pain as steam began to rise from its skin.

"C-charmander! You okay?" Red called out to his Pokémon, which shook of the froth. Nonetheless, it was still damaged and shivering. "Scratch!"

Charmander charged again but was blown back by another bubble attack. It sent him flying back before landing on his back, unconscious.

"No way!" Red cried as he ran up to his Pokémon. Leaf's eyes widened. This was the first time any of Red's Pokémon had been knocked out, even on the route to Viridian.

"Is that all, Red?' Blue chuckled as Squirtle wiped its mouth of access froth.

"Not quite, Blue. I've got one more." He pulled out one more pokeball. "Pidgey, go!"

The little bird Pokémon popped out, barely aware of its new surroundings, but as soon as it saw an opponent, it took to the air, flying just barely off the ground.

"Tackle!"

Pidgey charged. It slammed into Squirtle's shell, pushing it back a bit, but doing little damage. Squirtle's endurance and defense were too high.

"Bubble."

The froth made contact with Pidgey, sending it soaring back several feet. It coated its feathers and face, and with a defeated chirp, Pidgey fainted.

"H-how?!" Red groaned as he recalled his second and final Pokémon. It was his complete and total loss.

"Not as tough as you thought you were, huh, Red?" Blue cackled as he withdrew Squirtle. "Maybe if you work harder, you can do better, but let me make it clear today: you'll _never_ beat me again. I'm gonna be the champion, and you can just sit back and watch."

With those stinging words, Blue brushed past his former friend and newfound enemy, Red. The defeated boy could do nothing but fall to his knees, tears stinging eyes.

 **July 1, 1996 (7:22 PM)**

Red said nothing as he and Leaf went back to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City. Truth is, Red had nothing _to_ say because there wasn't any point in saying anything. Blue had just wiped the floor with him, and in front of someone that he really cared about, no less.

"Red, it's okay! Charmander was at a disadvantage, anyway. You'll get him next time." Leaf tried to encourage him, but her words simply disintegrated in the aura of shame and anger around him.

The two made their way to the Pokémon Center and gave their injured, sphere-held companions to the nurse at the counter. Since it would take upwards of thirty minutes for them to be done, they decided to give the professor a call, as well as their parents, just to let them know they were doing good.

Pokémon Centers had free-to-use video phones, which hundreds of trainers would use every day. It was connected to the PC storage system, which allowed trainers to deposit and withdraw their items, as well as Pokémon, from virtual space, much like files on a computer. Apparently, it was all designed by one man: Bill, a famous "Pokémaniac", as he liked to call himself.

Since Red was too dejected, Leaf had to input the professor's number into the keyboard. After just two rings, the professor's jolly, weathered face appeared.

"Ah, is this thing…" The audio was cutting out as the professor adjusted his camera. "Ah, got it!" The picture and audio were as crisp as a potato chip. "Good to see you two! I see you made it to Viridian City just fine! I knew you would, haha!"

"It's all good here, professor!" Leaf laughed back. "We're probably gonna head out to Route 2, but camp out for the night. We'll hit the forest tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan, kids!" He chuckled. "Just don't stay together all the time, okay? You guys know the rules about traveling together."

They both nodded, as Red had come to attention because he heard 'traveling together'. "Yeah, we know." Red spoke up, turning to Leaf. "I honestly think I should leave in the morning, and maybe you in the afternoon. I kinda wanna get to Pewter City soon, 'cause that's where my first gym is."

Leaf nodded. "That's a good idea. Besides, we'll meet up again sometime soon."

"Yeah...I just wanna get this over with." Red murmured, almost so quietly that the professor didn't catch it.

Oak sighed. "I know you're doing something that you don't want to do, Red, but that's part of growing up! After all, you have a knack for battling, as well!"

"A knack? N-not really…" Red hid his face with the bill of his cap.

"Don't be so modest, boy!" The professor guffawed. "You defeated my grandson in your first battle! Your first! That's quite a feat, knowing how much Blue has studied and prepped!"

"Yeah, but he beat me today!" Red fired back. "It wouldn't be that bad if he didn't have to rub it in and be a jerk…"

"I know, I'm sorry for Blue's behavior, I really am," The professor scratched his nose. "My advice: don't take it personally. Blue says those things because he's a bit insecure, honestly. Cheer up, Red. You and Charmander make a great team!"

"I-If you say so, professor," Red could feel the heat in his cheeks.

Leaf spoke up. "Thanks for your time, professor, but we gotta call our parents, too! Can't let them worry."

"You're absolutely right, kids! Stay safe out there!" With the last encouragement, the professor ended the call.

Red sat on one of the couches as Leaf talked animatedly with her parents, telling them about the new Pokémon she had caught and how everything was going smoothly. She neglected to tell the parts about Blue, and it honestly irked Red quite a bit. How could she be so carefree?! Then again, it was he who had battled him, not her.

After ten minutes or so, it was Red's turn to call his mom. While the phone rang, he was trying his best to not start crying about how he wanted to go home, how he wanted to be with her again, and sleep in his bed in the comfort of Pallet Town. He couldn't do that, though. The law was leering at him, preventing him from quitting, Leaf was relying on him, as well, not to mention the professor had given him a quest, a very important job.

Most of all, he was still going because he wanted to prove Blue wrong.

Red's mom answered the phone, forcing Red to swallow his bitter, bitter pill.

"Hi, honey!" She sang, her eyes already glistening. "It's so good to see you again! How's Viridian City?"

Red spoke out, but the words just fell out, so he cleared his throat. "I-It's...really big, mom."

"Hah, I thought you'd say that. Are you and Cassie enjoying yourselves? Are you hurt, honey? What's wrong?"

"I, uh…" Red looked down. "...I can't…"

"What, Red? Can't do what?"

"I can't do this, mom!" Red suddenly blurted out, causing heads to turn. Most of the strangers in the building turned back a moment later, but Leaf kept her eyes on him.

"I can't do this anymore! I hate it!" Red sniffed. "I can't even beat Blue in a fair battle! S-sure, Charmander and Pidgey are cool, but what's the point?! I just...don't care…"

"...Red, honey," His mom touched her fingers to the screen, as if in an attempt to caress his face. "I wish you didn't have to do this. As your mother, I don't want you to have to do anything in life that brings you pain. I know Pokémon and being a trainer have never interested you, especially since...your father was a trainer himself."

"Don't talk about him! I hate that bastard…"

"He may be a bastard, but he's still your father, Red. What does that make you, then?"

Red knew the answer, but he didn't dare say it. He was the son of that bastard.

"Red, you're doing great! You've made it to Viridian City and you'll be able to challenge the gym there! That's the first step, right?"

Red shook his head, drying his preemptive tears. "No, it's closed. The gym leader's gone. I have to go to Pewter City first."

"O-oh, well…" His mother chuckled nervously. "Then don't sit here and talk to me, dear! Go and get a head start! If you get through the forest by tomorrow afternoon, you can hit the gym in the evening! You can do this, honey!"

While he didn't want to admit it, his mother's words were extremely encouraging. He could feel the hollowness in his chest disappearing, because he knew that someone believed in him. In fact, he had several people that believed in him: his mom, the professor, and Leaf. Even Charmander and Pidgey believed in him, at least enough to follow his orders in battle.

"T-thanks, mom...we're gonna camp out for the night, so keep us in your thoughts. I'll call you tomorrow, too."

She nodded. "Sounds good, sweetie. Sleep well."

The two hung up, and Red drew a large breath in through his nose, which sounded like a cough and a sniff combined. He sat up and sauntered over to Leaf. "Let's go."

"Whoa, why so serious all of a sudden, Red?" The chuckled.

"I…" He thought for a moment. "I just needed some encouragement."

"Good!" She smiled. "The sun's gonna set soon, so we need to make like a librarian and book it!"

"...that was terrible."

"Shut up, you're laughing!"


	4. Viridian Forest

**Hey, guys! Little slower on the update since I'm currently studying abroad, but that doesn't mean I'm not brainstorming for this story! I'll hopefully have another update by Monday, if I can write another chapter by then to stay ahead. Thanks for your kind words, and please keep them coming! They're very encouraging! Don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism, too! Thanks!**

 **July 2nd, 1996 (9:45 AM)**

The morning was still on Route 2 in the Kanto Region. Life had begun to stir several hours earlier, but one young man in a sleeping bag seemed to deny nature's wake-up call, so nature had to ramp up the power of the morning.

Either that or a Weedle crawling on Red's face sufficed to wake him.

" _Blegh!"_ He blurted, rocketing himself out of his sleeping bag. The little worm Pokémon looked like many brown spheres connected together, with a barb on its hind end, beady eyes, a large red nose, and a monstrous horn on the top of its head. Fortunately, this particular Weedle didn't seem interested in a fight, as it had scampered off.

"Good thing it's gone. I'm almost out of antidote." Red muttered to himself. Weedle's horn was known for being toxic, and while not fatal, proved to cause damage to muscle cells in humans and Pokémon alike.

"Morning, Leaf," Red called out, only to be answered with soft bird-Pokémon calls and the wind buffeting the trees. "Leaf? Where'd you go?"

He walked toward the makeshift fire pit the two had made the previous night, which had since died out. He found what appeared to be a piece of paper near the small pile of sticks they had used for kindling.

"Did she already leave…?" Red mumbled to himself as he opened the yellow notebook-paper letter. It had a short message scrawled out on it, but Red could immediately recognize Leaf's curvy and feminine, yet firm handwriting.

 _Red,_

 _It's about six-thirty in the morning, and I decided to get a move on without you. After all, it would be bad if we stayed together too long. Don't worry about me, I've got Bulbasaur and Nidoran with me, so I'll be fine. The forest is really big, but there's a definite path. Follow it and you'll be in Pewter City in no time._

 _Don't sleep in too late, Mr. Slowpoke! I'll have my first badge by the time you even get to the gym, I'll bet~!_

 _Take care!_

 _Leaf ;)_

Red sighed as he folded up the note and put it into his backpack. He figured she would pull something like this, but it was probably for the better, honestly. Kanto's stupid laws were stupid, and they prevented him from traveling with his best friend. The nerve of those lawmakers, and of Leaf! She had equated him to one of the most dull-witted, stupid Pokémon in existence!

" _The nerve!"_ He chuckled to himself.

After freshening up, Red set out on Route 2. He still felt sticky and sweaty from yesterday, but he knew that once he reached Pewter City, he'd be able to freshen up at the Pokémon Center, provided there was a room available. Since Viridian's Gym was currently unoccupied, Red couldn't obtain his first gym badge as soon as he'd like. Nonetheless, he knew all about the current seven other gym leaders in the region. He honestly couldn't be ignorant about them even if he tried, because they were basically celebrities. The first of the seven that he knew of was Brock, in Pewter City. He was famous throughout the region for his focus on defensive battling, a trait that no other gym leader really used. He used rock-type Pokémon, which had high physical defense and could shrug off basic attacks like Scratch or Tackle. He even knew that with his current team of Pokémon, he would either have to train hard enough, catch another member that had an elemental advantage over Brock's Pokémon, or hope for a miracle. Since Charmander was a Fire-type and Pidgey was a Flying-type, they both were vulnerable to Rock-type moves.

"I need to find a water-type or something...Leaf and Blue picked the starter Pokémon better for the job." He grumbled to himself as he hiked. He suddenly realized why Charmander was "hard to raise", according to the professor. It had an elemental disadvantage to the first two gym leaders!

As Red mulled his situation in his thoughts, he came to the gate leading to the forest. Kanto had many gates between the routes, as they were areas provided where trainers could rest and take a load off from walking so much. Red and Leaf hadn't passed through one between Route 1 and Viridian since Pallet Town was such a hick town and isolated from Kanto. He had been walking for about an hour and figured that it was time to stop and take a break.

The tile floor of the gate was a nice transition from the soft grass, and Red quickly found a chair to sit in. The gate wasn't much, just an open area with chairs, a couple vending machines, and a counter where a guard would sit behind during the night hours. He, a younger-looking boy, and an old man were the only people inside.

Red pulled out his water bottle from his backpack and sat down, staring at the white void of a ceiling above him. He wanted to catch a new Pokémon in Viridian Forest, but the only ones that appeared were all bug-type, meaning he would be strapped with yet _another_ Pokémon weak to rock!

That is until something came crashing through the double doors.

It was small, yellow, and moved on all four legs. It had a tail shaped like a lightning bolt, long yellow ears with black tips, and red, circular cheek marks. Red immediately recognized the Pokémon. It was a Pikachu, one of the most well-loved and idolized of all of them. It was adored as a pet, but it was also a decent fighter. It was an electric-type, meaning that it would be able to do some damage against Brock's Pokémon.

"Get back here!"

Before Red could say anything, a young man clad in a tank top and shorts barged in, carrying a large net. "You're mine, Pikachu!"

He produced a Pokéball from his belt, and with a grunt, lobbed it at the poor creature. Pikachu's expression hardened from neutral to aggressive, and in a blink of an eye, whirled around and smacked the ball back at the poor trainer with its tail. The ball would've made contact with his face, but he ducked in time, letting it crash into the wall, shattering.

"Aw, come on!" The Pikachu ran out and disappeared from sight. "That was my last ball!"

The younger boy who had watched the whole thing laughed. "Nice try, but that Pikachu is one tough customer! You're better off finding a different one, man!"

"Tough customer?" Red walked up to the two boys. "What do you mean?"

"It's only that one Pikachu, but nobody's been able to catch it, like, ever!" The boy with the net sighed. "I felt lucky today and decided to look for it, but it played me for a fool! Guess I should just stick to bugs."

Red smiled, drawing the two boys attention. "Maybe I'll catch that Pikachu. It certainly does sound strong."

The boy with the net shrugged. "I don't know, man. Just keep your eyes peeled for it since there are other Pikachu in the forest."

"How can I tell the difference?"

"Oh, that's easy. The Pikachu you're looking for has a tiny notch in its tail, right at the end in the center. It's hard to see from far away, but if you get close enough you should see it."

Red nodded, walking back to grab his bag. "Thanks for the tip." He turned back to the boys. "What's your names?"

"I'm Rick, and I like to use Bug-type Pokémon!" The boy with the net replied, brandishing it like a weapon.

"I'm Sam. I don't have any Pokémon yet, but I want a Rattata! They have a really powerful bite attack! It's wicked strong!" He laughed.

"Nice to meet you guys. I'm Red, from Pallet Town. I would stay longer, but I have to get through the forest so I can challenge the Pewter City Gym tonight. Hopefully, we'll see each other again!"

Red waved goodbye to the boys, knowing that his next challenge was looming ahead like a storm cloud: getting through the forest.

He had to do it, though. For Mom, for Leaf, and for himself.

 **July 2nd, 1996 (11:30 AM)**

The temperature change was the first thing Red noticed, as it had cooled him down substantially. There was little direct sunlight, as it was blocked by the umbrella-like trees; instead, there were little patches of sunlight here and there along the grassy paths. There were multiple paths, but they were enshrouded in trees and taller trees, where wild Pokémon would normally reside. The whole forest was misty, too, since it was still morning.

Red decided to continue along the dirt path for as long as possible. He figured that the dirt would give way to tall grass, and he and his Pokémon would have to fight their way out. Sure, Bug-type Pokémon weren't too much of a threat, but Weedle could use its horn to afflict its toxin on other Pokémon and even humans. Luckily, had purchased multiple antidotes, which were medicine for poison inflicted by Pokémon, beforehand. He felt like he could take on an army of Weedles and their poison stingers.

As Red trudged through the tall grass, his thoughts went back to the Pikachu that had so effortlessly evaded that boy's attempt to capture it. He had always seen Pikachu portrayed in movies and advertisements as cute, chubby, docile, and honestly pretty stupid, but the Pikachu he had seen then was sleek, fierce, and had an indescribable fire in its eyes; it had a fixation for combat, and while he hated to admit it, he was interested.

Even though it was daytime, Viridian Forest wasn't the pleasant place many people thought it was. Darker, drearier than the outside, since the sun was almost completely blocked, and the scattered noises of the life it teemed with made the forest seem like it would swallow its trespassers. If he stopped for a moment, Red could hear the chirping of bird Pokémon, the flapping of insectile wings, leaves crunching underfoot of other creatures, and even the dripping of yet-to-be-evaporated dew drops on shaded tree leaves.

"Hey, what's up?"

Red was pulled from his thoughts by a young man, dressed in a sleeveless tank and a straw hat, carrying a net. "Wanna battle?" He said. "I just caught a new Caterpie, and I wanna see how strong it is."

"Sure." Red pulled out Charmander's pokeball. "Hey, do you know where the north exit is, though? I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"If you beat me, I'll tell you!" The young man winked.

"You're on!"

It wasn't really much of a battle at all. It was more of a curb-stomp, for the Bug Catcher, that is. His Caterpie and Weedle were both smoked and scorched by Charmander's ember attack. Bug-type was a great matchup for Fire-type since it was advantageous.

"No way! I wouldn't have challenged you if I knew you had a Fire-type!" The boy sulked as he handed Red his prize money. Trainers who lost battles gave prize money to the winner, with a minimum of 50 dollars. Dollars, or Pokémon Dollars, as they were officially called, was Kanto's currency. Red had saved up some money before he left Pallet Town, but had already used most of it stocking up on items for the forest, much to his dismay.

The boy sighed. "You're strong, though. The path is pretty straightforward, but you'll have to lean west, then north. The exit is at the top right corner of the forest."

"Thanks. Sorry for demolishing your Pokémon, though." Red chuckled.

He shrugged. "I was on my way home anyway, so it's all good. Good luck!"

The young man scampered off as Red continued his trek, filled with uncertainty and trepidation. He figured that the young man he just battled wouldn't be the last one he battled that day.

By the time an hour had passed, Red had been exactly right, and he hated it. He battled four more trainers, much like the first one, and they carried the same manner of Pokémon: Caterpie, a small, green worm-like creature with a two-pronged red horn on its head, and Weedle; their evolved forms as well were used, Metapod and Kakuna, green and yellowish cocoon Pokémon. Bug-type Pokémon were extremely fast to grow and develop, but they were generally weak fighters, and more suited to casual trainers and hobbyists. Between how they were weak in combat attributes, and how Red carried two Pokémon with elemental advantages against Bug, the battles were a breeze, and Red could feel his Pokémon getting stronger.

After his fifth battle, Red decided to stop and rest on a mossy tree stump. If he was going the right way and the young man from earlier had gave him correct directions, he was close to the exit, which would lead to Pewter City, and in turn his first Gym badge. The water in his bottle had warmed, leaving a nauseous feeling in Red's stomach as he drank it all. He had also spritzed Charmander and Pidgey with a potion, just to make sure they were in good shape.

"You guys feeling okay?" Red asked his companions.

Charmander growled, with what appeared to be a toothy smile, and Pidgey chirped softly, his feathers barely moving in the gentle breeze. The latter had grown quite affectionate, and would sometimes rub his face feathers against Red's hand. They were soft, yet resilient to the touch.

"Okay, back in you go," Red returned his friends back to their pokeballs, and with a grunt, stood up. His legs were becoming sore again after hiking, especially since he and Leaf had gone six miles yesterday.

Oh, yeah, Leaf...Red thought to himself. He thought about her often, whether he liked it or not. She had gone ahead of him, and was possibly battling Brock at the moment for her first badge. Red knew that she would have a much easier time with Brock than he would, having a Grass-type Pokémon like Bulbasaur. Grass-type was advantageous against Rock-type, after all.

As Red turned what felt like the twentieth corner that day, sure enough, he could see a straight path leading to another gate, its stone and steel fighting against the creeping vines and trees of the forest. He had made it in just under two hours! It was perfect!

His silent reverie was cut short by rustling in the pocket of shrubs and trees nearby. It wasn't little baby rustles, like a Caterpie was busy eating. It was strong shaking, accompanied with growls and buzzing noises.

Red wasn't prepared for what came next. A loud crackling noise like a snapped power line assaulted his eardrums like a coiled snake, accompanied by a large flash. Red covered his eyes to avoid being blinded.

Red ran into the underbrush to see just what was going on. Maybe it was a trainer in trouble, or someone trying to set fire to the forest, but the flash and crackle from earlier sounded very much like an Electric-type attack.

The only Electric-type Pokémon in the forest was Pikachu.

Red tried to run through the underbrush, but it was so thick off the path that he had to be careful where the stepped, to avoid tripping. He pushed saplings and branches away, watching every step as he ran deep into the unventured part of the forest. Within seconds, he came across a clearing, where he witnessed an amazing sight.

It was the Pikachu from earlier (he could tell because of the little notch in the middle of the tail) was locked in combat with another Pokémon that Red didn't recognize. It was large, insectile, and had a plump, yellow and black abdomen with a stinger. It's head held two beady compound-eyes, sitting like rubies in the face of an expressionless ancient artifact, and instead of forelegs, it had huge, sharp lances for hands. It's body was supported by its white wings, which looked like thin, lacy honeycombs.

Red pulled out his pokédex, which identified it as the final stage in Weedle's evolutionary line: Beedrill. It was a vicious Pokémon, and attacked anything that entered its territory. From the looks of it, it was attacking Pikachu for that very reason.

" _Pikaaa!"_ The yellow Electric-type cried out as it unleashed Thunder Shock, a weak Electric-type attack. The beedrill was repelled, but that didn't stop it from rushing Pikachu, ramming its lances at it furiously. After four or five blows, they were too fast for Red to count, Pikachu collapsed, exhausted.

We have to help it, Red thought. Then again, he could take a side and capture both, but which would he rather take? The infamous Pikachu from earlier, or a run-of-the-mill bug Pokémon that wouldn't help against Brock at all?

He had another idea.

"Charmander!" Red called out his own fighter, his own weapon, to the front line. Charmander immediately grasped the situation, the natural fighter he was, and attacked the Beedrill with an embers from its mouth.

The Beedrill's compound-eyes began to flicker, as if they were loose light bulbs. Red saw this as an opportunity to catch it, and with a swift motion, grabbed a new pokéball from his pocket and lobbed it at the giant insect, where it hit its mark and sucked it inside.

The Pokéball rolled, and Red rushed to Pikachu's side in the meantime, preparing a potion. Charmander was still at the ready, poised to launch more smolders at it when it would break free, but it never did. The ball hummed, and stood still. Beedrill was caught.

"Nice!" Red ran to claim his prize, all the while his pokédex updated with more detailed data on his new team member. Red clutched the ball in his hand before clipping it to his belt. Would he keep Beedrill with him? Maybe, but considering how Bug-type Pokémon had a hard time against Rock-type ones, he was hesitant to do so. Currently, his foremost concern was Pikachu.

He turned back to the yellow, lightning-tailed creature, its body bruised and bloody in some places. It was trying to stand up on its four legs, but failing to do so. Red took the potion he still clutched in his hand, and crouched down to Pikachu's level.

"Hey," He spoke to it, much like he would a toddler. "This'll help, I promise."

Surprisingly, Pikachu let Red apply the medicine to its body, but held a glare the entire time. Once its wounds melted away, it became more affectionate, letting out soft squeaks as it nuzzled Red's legs.

"Hey, you can be nice if you want, can you?" Red placed his hand on its head, scratching lightly. It's fur was very short and fine, but soft and almost...rubbery. It's tail and ears were firm and pointed, the former like a lightning bolt.

"You wanna come with me?" Red asked.

Instead of a verbal response, Pikachu opted to jump on Red's shoulder. While light, it was a new weight that pushed him down, but didn't prevent him from moving.

"You feeling better, Pikachu?" Red asked his new friend.

" _Chaaa…"_ He yawned. Red took that as a yes as they moved back to the forest path to the exit. Red could feel his excitement bubbling up as the leaves crunched under him. He had caught not only the infamous Pikachu that had been regarded as "uncatchable" in the Viridian Forest, but he had also nabbed a fully-evolved Pokémon as well. Nonetheless, Brock's gym still loomed over him like a shadow, a predator ready to ambush. Despite his expanded team of Pokémon, none of them had advantages against Brock's own Pokémon. It would be a tough first gym battle, but not impossible. He wouldn't let it be impossible, because he had to people to prove things to: Blue and Leaf. The former he would show his strength, and the latter he would protect.

I just hope I can make it in time for today's openings, Red thought.

 **July 2nd, 1996 (2:52 PM)**

Route 2 had also extended past Viridian Forest slightly, so Red had more walking to do than he thought. Luckily, it wasn't wooded and hard to traverse, rather soft and grassy, but also teeming with trainers practicing with their Pokémon.

"C'mon, Kakuna!" A young trainer shouted his battling Pokémon. "Poison Sting!"

"Keep right and use Ember!"

Charmander had really grown so much in such a short time, it was beginning to frighten Red a little. He had grown from a naive, tottering Pokémon into a fierce battler, with quite the penchant for fighting. Red could've sworn he had grown bigger, too. Red was also noticing the flame on Charmander's tail was beginning to randomly increase in size during battle. Was it a sign that evolution was close?

Evolution was a mysterious process that humans have never been able to understand. A large majority of Pokémon are able to evolve, and when they do, they take on a different form entirely and gain new abilities, but are still the same individual on the inside. Red had learned in the trainer's school that when Pokémon are close to evolving, they begin to behave oddly, or their body starts to do strange things. Pidgey hadn't been acting strangely at all, still affectionate, but strong, and Pikachu, while having an arrogant disposition and fragile ego, was quite capable. Red hadn't sent out Beedrill, for fear that it would attack Pikachu again.

The foe's Kakuna fell, charred to crisp, but still alive.

"Ugh, I can't win!" The boy cried as he recalled his toasted cocoon. "You're pretty strong, but don't get cocky. Brock's Pokémon wipe the floor with Fire-types."

Red received his prize money from the young man and continued. The path was still straight and grassy, but that meant that wild Pokémon could attack at any time, and sure enough, Red couldn't take ten steps without being attacked from above.

" _Scraw!"_ It was the cry of a bird Pokémon, Spearow. It was short and red and black, with a curved beak and angry eyes. It was far more aggressive than Pidgey, who would only fight if it was forced to do so. Spearow was wildly territorial, and would attack humans and Pokémon alike.

"Charmander!" Red released his Fire-type Pokémon for combat, and it attacked without command. Embers scattered, repelling the small bird. However, it didn't give up, opting to dive-bomb Charmander with its beak.

Struck and now angry, Charmander lashed out with its claws, but it didn't seem like a typical Scratch technique. While it may have been the sun reflecting off of them, Charmander's claws seemed to...glisten? They shined like the polished steel hull of an aircraft carrier. It was only for a split second, though.

Red couldn't think much of it, though, as the battle had ended as quickly as it started. The Spearow, collapsed in a charred, beaten heap, stood up with shaky legs and ran off into the tall grass.

"Return, Charmander," Red recalled his Pokémon in a flash of light, and continued on his way. Pewter City was in sight, and that meant his first battle with a Gym Leader. It also possibly meant he'd see Leaf.

* * *

As if Red himself had dictated fate that day, he was met with his smiling friend from Pallet Town as soon as the sliding doors to the Pokémon Center opened.

"Red!" She tackled him in a hug. Red stiffened, but quickly returned the hug. She was soft and warm to the touch. "You made it, doofus! I was beginning to think I'd have to come and get you!"

"Hah, I'm not that bad, Leaf!" He replied, embarrassed. "I even found some new Pokémon, too."

"Great, I'd love to see them in battle, but first," She gestured to the receptionist. "You should freshen up. You kinda stink, dude."

"H-hey!" Red was really embarrassed, now. "You don't have to point it out!" He whispered through his teeth.

"Would you rather have me point it out, or a stranger?"

"...you…"

Leaf smirked. "That's what I thought! Now go and shower, boy!"

Red's face burned with humiliation as the receptionist giggled, handing him the key to his room. "She's quite the firecracker, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she's something, alright." Red chuckled back half-sarcastically.

Red took off his clothes and put them in a heap beside the twin-sized bed in his tiny room, and eagerly stepped into a hot shower. It didn't take long for him to scrub clean, especially since he knew that Leaf was waiting for him. He felt almost like a kid at Christmas, having to endure an activity before opening presents.

After drying off and putting on new clothes, which were his other pair of jeans, a black t-shirt, underwear, and his sneakers, he took his belt of four pokéballs and stepped outside, where Leaf was waiting.

"Feel better?" She asked, a sly glint in her eyes.

"Yeah, of course. Are you staying the night?"

She shook her head. "I was thinking about heading out to Mt. Moon this evening, because there's a Pokémon that comes out more often at night that I want to catch."

"Which one?"

"That's a sec- _ret_ ~!"

"Ugh, seriously?"

"Don't be such a stick in the mud, Red." She suddenly came close to him, her face mere inches from his. She wasn't wearing much makeup, and her blue eyes bored into him like drills. "Besides, we have something more important to do, right? Let's battle!"

Red would've turned her down that morning, but after the day's events, he was feeling satisfied and optimistic about his quest so far. "You're on!"

* * *

Red _was_ feeling optimistic, until Leaf showed him her new badge.

"That's right, I beat Brock! It honestly wasn't that hard, 'cause of Ivysaur." She chattered as she skipped ahead of him.

"Wait, Ivysaur? Bulbasaur evolved?"

"You bet! He's much stronger, now!"

The found an empty lot that the nearby residents said they could use for a battle, as long as it didn't get too crazy. It was dusty and grassy, but perfect for a short battle with weaker Pokémon.

"Use all of your Pokémon, Red." Leaf laughed as she pulled out own pokéball.

"Sure, just don't go easy on me 'cause I don't have any badges, Leaf." Red smirked, tapping Charmander's ball on his belt in anticipation

"Sure thing, dude. Ivysaur, go!"

She threw the ball underhanded, and it released her first Pokémon that she ever received. However, it had since evolved. While Bulbasaur was small, Ivysaur was a bit bigger, and its bulb had graduated to a bigger, pinker unblossomed flower with large fern petals on all sides. Its features were also more mature, with thicker legs, longer fangs, and narrower eyes.

"Charmander!" Red sent out his own starter Pokémon. The little orange lizard took its place on the field, knowing that this was an important battle.

"Ember!" Red took the first move. Charmander was quick to launch its smoky, smoldering attack at Ivysaur, his opponent was no slouch. Ivysaur wasn't fast, but it wasn't slow, either. It managed to dodge most of the attack, but still took a glancing blow.

"Ivysaur, Leech Seed!" Leaf commanded. The quadrupedal Pokémon aimed its bulb as Charmander, blasting a bundle of green vegetation at him. It struck, and slowly grew and wrapped around Charmander, glowing all the while.

"W-what is that?" Red asked out loud.

"It's a health-draining attack, remember? It steals Charmander's health and gives it to Ivysaur. Crazy, huh?" Leaf's hands found her hips as she admired her partner's handiwork.

"Charmander, shake it off!" Red commanded, but it was no use. Charmander's claws couldn't cut it, nor could it pull it off.

"You have the advantage, Red! Why aren't you attacking?! 'Cause if you don't, I will! Ivysaur, Vine Whip!"

She wasn't waiting for my turn, Red thought. Ivysaur summoned green vines from around its bulb and with a sharp snap, brought them over Charmander. While the attack was elementally not a good choice, the difference in battle attributes between the Pokémon was certainly evident.

"Charmander, no! Come on, use Scratch!"

Shaking off the lashing, Charmander charged in, raking its claws over Ivysaur's face and body. It seemed to have some effect, since it went sprawling backwards.

"Ivysaur, do it! Poison Powder!"

Ivysaur shook its body, releasing a noxious cloud of purple dust in the vicinity. Charmander, since it had been so close, was caught in it. Charmander's constitution immediately changed, and he bent over, turning green.

Ack, he's poisoned, Red thought. I don't have time to heal, though. Gotta attack!

"Charmander, Ember again!"

Recovering momentarily from his sickness, Charmander launched another volley of embers at Ivysaur, hitting his mark this time. The embers stuck to Ivysaur, dealing more damage. Despite that, he was still standing. It must be the Leech Seed that's keeping it in the battle, Red thought.

"Ivysaur, wrap this up with Tackle!" Leaf ordered.

Despite its slow appearance, Ivysaur was more than capable of running, and slamming into a target. Charmander went flying back towards Red, landing just a few feet from him, unconscious.

"C-crap…" Red muttered as he recalled his Pokémon. You did good, buddy, he thought.

"Not bad, but not good enough, Red. Show me what else you have!" Leaf called, petting Ivysaur on its broad, green forehead.

"Pidgey!" Red summoned his small bird Pokémon, which flapped to stay airborne. He knew that grass-type Pokémon were weak to flying-type Pokémon, so it he would finish off Ivysaur with Pidgey.

"Nice choice, Red, but it won't guarantee a win." Leaf snickered. "Ivysaur, Leech-"

"Quick Attack!"

Pidgey launched itself at a blinding speed at Ivysaur, smacking it aside. Quick Attack was a lot like Tackle, but it was almost sure to strike first. Ivysaur was heavily damaged; it stood up, panting.

"All right, I hate to do this, but use Sleep Powder!"

It was the same as Poison Powder, except it was green. Even in the air, Pidgey wasn't safe, and soon crashed to the ground, fast asleep.

"Pidgey, no! Wake up!"

"Vine Whip, only stronger!"

" _Saurrrr!"_ Ivysaur's vines came out faster and thicker, but maybe it was just Red's imagination. Red learned about abilities that Pokémon have at the school, and he also knew that the three Pokémon Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle had abilities that boosted the power of their Fire, Grass, and Water-type attacks when they were low on health. He knew this now, because he witnessed it. Pidgey woke up, but only rolled over, unconscious and unfit to battle.

This is bad, Red thought. His two strongest Pokémon fainted relatively easily by only one of Leaf's. That Ivysaur was a force to be reckoned with. Red knew that Pikachu would struggle, but maybe Beedrill would be better. Then again, Beedrill didn't really like him all that much.

"Hello, earth to Red? Are you done or do you have more Pokémon?" Leaf taunted him.

"I'm not done, yet! Beedrill!"

Red sent out Beedrill, in all its black and yellow, winged glory. It didn't seem to thrilled at first, but when it recognized the heat of battle, it immediately tensed up, ready to strike.

Red didn't give Leaf a chance to speak. "Fury Attack!"

Beedrill launched a flurry of stabs with its two lances, sending Ivysaur rolling back towards Leaf with a final blow. It was finally defeated.

"Hey, not bad!" Leaf recalled her Pokémon. "Let's see if you can handle this one, then. Nidoran!"

The small, bluish creature landed, sniffing the air. Once it saw its enemy, its small horns tensed, and it hissed.

"Tail Whip!"

Nidoran used its short tail to distract Beedrill, lowering its guard. Red wasn't going to take that, though.

"Poison Sting!"

Beedrill launched a volley of stingers from its mouth, all glowing with toxins. They struck their mark, but did little damage.

"W-what? What type is that thing?" Red stammered.

"It's poison-type, just like Ivysaur, silly." She giggled. "Scratch!"

Nidoran dove at Beedrill, swiping at it with its paws. Beedrill was fast and strong, but its endurance was rather lacking. It stayed conscious, but was visibly hurt.

"Fury Attack!"

Beedrill charged in like a berserker, ready to tear at Nidoran, but the small Pokémon was just too fast. It deftly dodged all of the oversized bee's attacks, and would leap up to scratch and bite Beedrill at any opportune time. Before long, Beedrill had collapsed not only from attacks, but its own battle-induced exhaustion.

Red was down to one Pokémon, and he hadn't excluded the prospect of losing. He told himself that if he had to lose to one person in the world, even multiple times, it would be Leaf, because he knew that she wouldn't make fun of him for it, and that's what he liked about her. She was kind, unlike certain spiky-haired individuals.

"One more?" Leaf asked.

"Yep, this is it." Red could hear his heart thumping. "Pikachu!"

The yellow, rodent-like Pokémon landed with a soft thud, glaring down his opponent. Sparks began to tease out of his red cheeks.

When Red caught Pikachu and Beedrill, he didn't know any of their attacks, at least for sure. Luckily, the pokédex was there to show him. He'd start off with his best attack. "Thunder Shock!"

Pikachu released a wave of volts and electricity at Nidoran, pushing it back. Shaken but not defeated, Nidoran shook its body free of sparks.

"Double Kick!"

Double Kick was a Fighting-type attack, and probably another factor in Leaf's easy victory against Brock, as Fighting beat Rock easily. Nidoran drove its forelegs into Pikachu's face and torso twice, and then ran around and did it a second time, resulting in two strikes with each leg. Pikachu shook it off, gritting its teeth.

"Quick Attack!"

Pikachu dashed at his opponent, slamming into it.

"Keep it up, Nidoran! Double Ki-"

"Quick Attack!"

Red wouldn't relent. Pikachu flew at Nidoran again, but the unexpected struck.

Nidoran began to glow.

Pikachu was sent flying back to Red from the sudden surge of energy. Red and Leaf watched in awe as Nidoran grew bigger, its claws grew sharper, its teeth longer, and its ears rounded out and became large. The glow faded, and Leaf's newly evolved Nidorina brayed, ready to battle.

"Wow, you evolved! You're awesome, Nidorina!" Leaf cheered, her new Pokémon crying out in glee back.

"We can't give up, Pikachu!" Red called to his Pokémon, which squeaked an affirmative reply. "Thunder Shock!"

"Poison Sting!"

The volley of stingers sent from Nidorina's mouth overpowered Pikachu's electric current, blasting through it. Pikachu was pelted by all of them, and sent sprawling. It was over. Leaf had won.

"Great job, Nidorina!" Leaf cried as she hugged her Pokémon, petting its head. She returned it to its ball, knowing that she had someone else to congratulate.

"Nice work, Red! That was honestly as tough as my battle with Brock!" Leaf laughed, slapping his shoulder lightly. "You okay?"

Red shrugged as he recalled Pikachu. "Yeah, it's okay. I just have to do more, I guess. Does Brock have more appointments today?"

Leaf shook her head. "Free battles start at five, so if you get in there, he should have an opening. Let's go back to the center, first."

Red smiled, knowing that despite losing, Leaf didn't hold it against him. He would defeat Brock, and then he'd maybe defeat her, too. Then, he'd defeat Blue and make him eat his words.


	5. Vs Brock

**I'm working hard, everyone! I go home tomorrow, so update speed might pick up a bit. I also suffered a bit from writer's block, but I don't think that'll be a problem for a bit. I'm trying to stay two chapters ahead, and so far, it's working. Keep the reviews coming! I want to know what you guys think! Thanks!**

 **July 2nd, 1996 (5:15 PM)**

Pewter Gym was currently barren, at least from the outside, it seemed.

"Where is everyone?" Red asked as the two made their way to the entrance.

Leaf shrugged. "Not sure, it should be packed by now. Maybe because everyone else already has their badge." She smirked, winking at him.

"Would you quit teasing me already?" Red shot back. "It's not like I want to do this in the first place."

Leaf sighed, shaking her head. "Red, you and I are gonna have to have a talk about this after this gym battle. Are you seriously not having any fun at all so far? Is it really _that_ torturous to be on this quest?"

Red didn't want to admit it, but he was having fun. A lot of fun, much more than he anticipated having. While he missed his mom, his bed, and the general comfort of small town life, there was a mild thrill to being on the road and fending for oneself. That, and Pokémon battles were...exhilarating, to say the least.

"You okay, Red?"

"I'm fine. Just...I just wanna get this done, okay?"

Leaf nodded. "I understand. Let's go."

The two entered the large building, which put the surrounding houses and even the Pokémon Center to shame. The inside was monstrous and had a large, sprawling battlefield in the back of the room. The entire property had an earthy, rock theme with dirt floor decor, boulders, and even some fossils embedded in the back wall of the gym.

"Welcome, challenger."

The two turned behind them and were greeted by a tall young man. His skin was tan, as if he had been in the sun for a while, and had spiked brown hair, thin eyes, and a tight, expressionless look on his face. "Are you two looking…" He paused. His expression changed when he saw Leaf. "Oh, Ms. Greene. Is something wrong? You already have your badge."

"Hey, Brock!" She walked up to him, Red in tow. "Nothing's wrong, I just wanted to spectate the match between you and my friend, Red."

"Oh." Brock seemed like a simple man. He didn't react strongly to any stigma and was unchanging as a boulder. This was also supported by his simple dress: white t-shirt with dark brown cargo pants. "That's fine, you can take a seat in the bleachers." Sure enough, there were two sets of small bleachers that would probably seat around forty people on both sides of the inclined stadium. "So, you're my next challenger, young man? Red, was it?"

Red felt like melting in place, but had to suck it up, as to not look stupid in front of Leaf. "Y-yeah, that's me…" He wanted to look tough. "I-I'm gonna beat you, Brock! I'll show you how good I really am!"

Brock's razor-thin eyebrow perked in surprise, and Leaf's eyes widened. What's with the sudden energy, she thought.

Instead of getting angry or competitive like Red thought he would, Brock simply leaned his head back, roaring with laughter. "I like you, Red! You might have the spunk to defeat my rock-hard defense, just like your friend, here! But believe me when I say that you'll have a hard time getting past my true-grit determination." He placed his hand on Red's shoulder, one weathered by training and hardship. Red figured he was probably in the seventeen to twenty range. "Show me a good match. Come up when you're ready."

Brock walked past them and up the stairs to the arena and took his place on the other side. The arena was easily twenty feet long, if not more, Red thought. He wasn't a good judge in length, but he figured it would be enough to cover any attacks that low-level Pokémon could use.

"Go on, champ in the making!" Leaf chuckled.

"Would you stop?!" Red hissed. "I'm not five years old, Leaf!"

She rolled her eyes. "I know, I'm trying to help! You can do this!"

"Thanks, just don't distract me."

Red felt like a food Pokémon being led to the slaughter. How was he going to beat Brock on his first try?! He didn't have Pokémon with elemental advantages like Leaf did, nor Blue. He had even noticed, on the statuette in the front of the Gym, the names of those who had won against Brock were recorded. Blue's name was first, followed by Leaf's.

He wanted to be next. He couldn't lose to either of them.

"How many Pokémon do you have, Red?" Brock asked, his voice echoing in the spacious void of the arena.

"Four!" Red replied, grasping Charmander's pokéball. "Can I use all of them?"

"Of course! There are no extra rules in Gym battles, just when a Pokémon faints or its trainer vocally decides it's unable to fight, you have to recall it and send out another one. When you run out, you lose. Got it?"

"Sounds good to me," Red affirmed. "Charmander, go!"

He released the ball, sending out his trusted first Pokémon, Charmander. While he couldn't speak in human tongue nor had the intelligence of one, Charmander could sense his trainer's anxiety, which readied him for battle.

"Show me your best, then! Geodude, let's go!" Brock let out his own Pokémon. It was small, brown, and very wrinkly. It consisted of a head, two eyes, a mouth, and two muscular arms, all floating mere inches from the ground. It cried out. " _Geo!"_

"You can have the first move, Red. Just don't waste it." A ghost of a smirk flashed on Brock's face.

"Ember!" Red called out to Charmander. The fire-type swung its tail around, launching bits of fire and ash at the opponent, but unlike most of his recent foes who recoiled at the fire, Geodude merely closed its eyes and endured the attack, shaking its body free of the embers.

"That won't really work, Red! Tackle!" Brock ordered.

Geodude slammed its whole body into Charmander. Having grown used to being tackled, Charmander had hardened its body to prevent itself from being sent into the air, but Geodude was very strong. He skidded to a halt near Red, holding his shoulder in pain.

"Okay, use Scratch instead!"

Charmander lunged, swiping at Geodude's face furiously. That attack didn't faze it either, and Charmander reeled, his claws looking worse for wear. Meanwhile, in the bleachers, a distressed Leaf couldn't help but bite her thumbnail in distress. " _Come on, Red! You should know better!"_

"Defense Curl!"

Geodude's arms wrapped around itself, but it stayed motionless. It's a defensive move, Red thought. He decided to try a different approach and pulled out his Pokédex and searched Charmander's profile. What Red didn't expect to see was a new entry in Charmander's techniques roster.

"Metal Claw."

Red merely said the name of the attack, and Charmander rushed in again. Scratch didn't work before, Charmander! Red's concern was immediately dashed when he raked his now-silvery claws over Geodude's body and face, which sent it reeling in pain.

"W-what was that?" Red said out loud. "A Steel-type attack?"

"No, Geodude! Tackle again!"

Geodude rushed Charmander again, but Red knew better. He had a new trump card to rely on. "Evade! Use Metal Claw again!"

The whole scene happened in a flash, Charmander leaping over Geodude's reckless tackle and bringing his claws down on it again. The sound of metal on rock reverberated throughout the arena. With a defeated moan, Geodude collapsed, exhausted.

"Tch…" Brock withdrew his fallen Pokémon, biting his lip in frustration. Steel-type had been a relatively new discovery, but very few Pokémon native to Kanto had been affected. It was shown that Magnemite and Magneton, two Electric-type Pokémon, had been discovered to be Steel and Electric-type, changing the type matchup chart on its head. Still, the fact that Charmander learned a Steel-type move was unheard of, as a Fire-type.

Red couldn't believe it. He had already gotten the upper hand against Brock, and he hadn't suffered any losses on his end, yet. Charmander panted and wiped sweat from his scaly brow, but otherwise appeared uninjured. Maybe he did have what it took! Maybe he really did know what he was doing!"

"This is where it ends! Onix!"

All of Red's optimism was sucked down a storm drain of despair by the mammoth creature before him.

It was _huge_. It's giant, long body was boulders, interconnected together by an unknown force; its head was decorated with a huge horn, and piercing eyes and a wide, gaping maw. It nearly reached the ceiling. Charmander was also visibly afraid, backing away and whimpering like a scared puppy.

"Rock Tomb!"

Red had wondered why there hadn't been any Rock-type attacks, but now he wished he'd

never thought that thought. "Charmander, dodge!"

Onix fired a burst of rocks and rubble from its mouth like a shotgun at Charmander, who tried his best to weave his way through. Sadly, he was trapped between a few rocks, but an opening allowed Red to see him.

It came to Red. A new idea.

"Come back!"

He recalled Charmander as the rocks around him shattered, their dust settling on the battlefield. "What's wrong, Red? Making a change mid-battle?" Brock's voice was confident and strong like he knew he was going to win.

"I said I was gonna win! Pikachu!"

Red decided on a new plan. He would have his other Pokémon weaken the great beast, and have Charmander eliminate it in one blow. "Thunder Shock!"

Pikachu unleashed his blast of lightning, which surrounded Onix. The great behemoth groaned but didn't seem to be affected. Why? He was a Rock-type, right? Shouldn't that mean he took damage from Electric-type moves?

"That won't work, Red! Onix is not just Rock-type, but he also is Ground-type! Electric moves won't do anything to him. Rock Tomb!"

Onix blasted more rocks out his mouth, but Pikachu was able to deftly dodge them all, unlike Charmander. He landed on his feet like a cat, ready for another command.

"Pikachu, try something different! Tail Whip!"

Pikachu knew that Thunder Shock and Thunder Wave wouldn't work, but he was inclined to trust his trainer with this new strategy. After all, he had rescued him from a dire situation with Beedrill. The mousey Pokémon dashed in, distracting Onix with his jagged tail. Onix wasn't slow, but he couldn't keep up with Pikachu's lightning speed. He was soon tangled up in himself, groaning and dizzy.

"Quick Attack!"

Red wasn't going to give Brock another chance to use Rock Tomb since a few of those would spell the end of the battle for him. Pikachu dove in, slamming his small frame against Onix's face, which was now low to the ground. Pushed back, Onix groaned like a condemned building, crying out to be demolished.

"Bind him, Onix!"

Onix's tail end shot out, enveloping Pikachu in stony shackles. Pikachu, too small to escape and enveloped in his hard prison, squealed in pain.

"Use Quick Attack to escape!"

While Quick Attack was a move to do damage, it could also escape a hairy situation. Pikachu used his forelegs to propel himself from Onix's tail, landing back on his side of the field with a diver's grace. Red wasn't sure what to do. Onix's defense was too high to inflict much damage, that is, except for Charmander, but he would only get obliterated by another Rock Tomb. Rock Tomb appeared to be a move that didn't always hit its target, either that, or it was sloppy and inaccurate. What would happen if he could somehow make it so impossible to hit Charmander that he could get in the damage he needed.

He got it.

"Return, Pikachu!" The pokéball sent its beam of light towards Pikachu, drawing it back into it. Red picked a new ball from the belt, one that would provide him with the skills he needed to win. "Pidgey, use Sand Attack!"

The little bird Pokémon received the command as he left the ball, picking up some of the

loose sand on the floor of the arena and tossing it at Onix's eyes. He hit his huge target perfectly, and Onix reeled in pain, shaking his monstrous head in agony.

"Come on, Onix! Rock Tomb!" Brock ordered, pointing at his avian foe.

" _...waaaark…"_ He bellowed, blasting rocks from his maw. Between the randomness of the rocks trajectory and Onix's accuracy being reduced due to the sand in his eyes, he missed, sending the rocks in the completely wrong direction.

"Pidgey, you're doing great! Gust!"

Pidgey chirruped happily, flapping his little wings as hard as he could. The small twister created by the wind from Pidgey's wings picked up the dust from the ground, turning it into tight, vicious dust devil cyclone. It struck Onix, pestering him more than anything. When he would open his eyes to see his foe, the dirt from the whirlwind of dust around him would force him to shut them again.

"Get back, Pidgey! Now, finish it, Charmander!"

Red knew he was playing favorites, but he had to win this with Charmander. After all,

Leaf had used Ivysaur, and he figured Blue had to have used Squirtle, so he didn't want to be left out. Charmander needed a little support, was all. Charmander didn't seem to mind as well, seeing his opponent was blinded and struggling against a small tornado.

"Now, use Ember in the whirlwind!"

"How on earth?!" Brock cried out in shock and horror as the dust devil caught the bits of

fire, intensifying them and igniting the whole thing. Onix shrieked and rocked as his rocky skin began to singe. "Rock Tomb! Come on, Onix!"

"Don't even let him, Charmander! Use Metal Claw!"

" _Grahh!"_ Charmander let out a war cry as he charged in like a Viking berserker, tearing away with claws sharp as steel. The claws made visible marks on Onix's hide, like an ax on stone. Eventually, between the intense heat and the repeated slashings, Onix fell unconscious, tipping his massive size straight towards Red, like a falling tree.

The only problem? No one said "timber".

"Red, get out of there!" Red heard Leaf cry out as the towering rock snake fell towards

him. Red only could stare in fear, but before it got too close, it was consumed in light and absorbed by its Pokéball, thanks to Brock.

"Well, Red." Brock sighed as he walked to his end of the arena, dirt crunching underneath his sneakers. The disappointment was evident in Brock's face, but he could also see something else: joy. "I took you for granted, I guess. That's why you beat me. You also had a wicked strategy cooked up, and you didn't cower in fear to my Onix like many do. In honor of your achievement," He reached into his pants pocket. "I give you this, an official League badge: the Boulder Badge."

He handed Red the small steel object, which looked like a cut gem, but brown and gleaming. It had eight sides. "T-thanks, Brock. It was a great match."

"It certainly was. You already show great signs, Red. You could be an amazing trainer if you put your mind to it, and put your soul into training. Don't give up, Red. After all, your friend here told me a bit about your...disdain for being a trainer."

Leaf, who had been watching intently, came to Red's side. "Red that was so cool! I was

on the edge of my seat the entire time!"

"Why'd you tell him?"

"Huh?" Leaf turned to him, confused. Brock crossed his arms.

"Why'd you tell him about my business, Leaf? That isn't anybody else's problem!"

Maybe it was the leftover adrenaline from the battle, but Red's voice increased in volume, filling the gym. His eyes filled with tears.

"R-red, don't be upset! I just…" She looked away. "It just happened to come up, okay?"

Red turned to Brock, who shook his head. "Leaf had made a sidelong comment after our battle, and we talked about you. She told me about how you didn't want to go on an adventure, that you didn't want to leave your mom. Believe me, I understand." Brock looked at his watch. "It's getting late. I have an idea: Let's go to the Center and get your Pokémon healed, and then we can talk. Sound good?"

Red looked away, but he knew that he'd get an earful from Leaf if he was short with a Gym Leader, especially one as nice as Brock. "Fine."

 **July 2nd, 1996 (6:02 PM)**

Red couldn't decide whether to be angry or upset. He couldn't believe that Leaf would

divulge a stranger about his...issues. That was for him and him alone to tell people and to deal with. Their quiet parade of himself, Leaf, and Brock trudged their way to the Pokémon Center, a thick, awkward air around them. Red braced himself for the worst.

The receptionist immediately greeted Brock as an old friend, and he beckoned Red to give her his Pokémon to heal. While Beedrill hadn't participated at all, the other three members of Red's little squad of underdogs had taken quite the beating, especially Charmander. He honestly didn't know how he won, other than the strategy he used. How on earth did he come up with something like that so quickly, he thought. While Red could count the number of battles he had done on his fingers, that didn't mean he was incapable. Brock, too, was shocked at how quickly Red was able to make such a strategy; something like that would've taken veteran trainers significantly longer to plan, and not just in their head. Red was a prodigy, he just didn't want to admit it. Brock knew it, and Leaf knew it as well.

The three took a seat on the couches, Leaf next to Red and Brock across from both of them. Brock appeared as though he was in a battle of his own, serious and stone-faced. Leaf wrung her hands, not knowing how Red was going to react.

"Tell me about yourself, Red. You seem like a normal, unassuming young man."

Red shrugged. "Should I start when I was born? I don't wanna be here for the rest of the night, Brock."

"Haha, good one. You have a sense of humor, that's good. Tell me about your childhood, tell me about how you met Leaf and this Blue character. I understand how he's the grandson of Professor Oak?"

Red didn't waste any time giving Brock the abridged version of the most important parts of his childhood and early adolescence, focusing on parts that Leaf and Blue were a part of. He also went into detail about how Blue had grown distant, choosing to tease and torment the two of them instead of being their friend. As much as he hated to admit it, Brock was a good listener. He only nodded and gave affirmative grunts to Red's story, only stopping to smile at certain parts that were happy or humorous. After a while, he stopped Red.

"Red, do you love your Dad?" He asked him.

That was a hard question because deep down, Red _did_ love his Dad. He wanted him to come home so he, Mom and him could be a normal family again, and be happy. He didn't want there to be fights and rage, he just wanted to have both parents.

"I guess I do, but," Red paused. "I can't forgive him. Not after leaving me and Mom like that."

He nodded. "I see. What does your Dad have to do with training Pokémon, though?"

"Because he left to be a trainer. He didn't feel like he was doing enough to provide, and just up and left. Mom fought him, but he drove her back. He told her that he knew what was best for our family and took off. We never heard from him again." Red looked down. He was secretly hoping that Leaf would keep her distance.

"I see. For some, Pokémon training is a distraction, taking them away to a happier place from the real world. For kids like you, it's something that reminds them of pain, and suffering. I've had many friends with both issues, and it's safe to say that you're not alone Red." He looked to Leaf. "You have friends. This young lady here cares a lot about you, and I'm sure deep down, that other young man doesn't want to act the way he does. I saw it in his eyes, in our Gym battle. He came before you two did, strutting in confident and unabashed. He...demolished me, safe to say. With a Water-type or Grass-type Pokémon, your battle with me is a breeze. With a Pokémon like Charmander, it isn't. Nonetheless, Blue might feel some of the same feelings you are in his heart."

As if responding to Brock's mentioning of it, the receptionist called Red up for his Pokémon. With a curtsy, she thanked him and handed him the tray. With a smile, Red took his four pokéballs and clipped them back onto his belt where they belonged. Their weight had become familiar, nostalgic, even in such a short time.

Red sat back down with Brock and Leaf. "I will admit, I didn't expect his to be so much fun." He pulled Charmander's ball from his belt. "Watching it on TV and actually doing it are so different. I thought all Pokémon trainers were like my Dad, but I guess I was wrong. No, I _was_ wrong."

He released Charmander, who materialized with a yawn. He jumped over to Red, hugging his knees and growling softly.

"You're amazing, Charmander." Red murmured, patting his head.

"Your whole team put in work for you, Red. Your Pokémon aren't just tools for battling, they're beings of their own accord. They are also, in a way, extensions of ourselves. They take on our traits, our personalities, in a way. Charmander is brave and bold, but you are as well. You didn't falter when Onix came out. Many run away, leaving their partners behind." Brock petted Charmander, receiving happy gurgles in return.

"Do you get it now, Red?" Leaf turned to him. Her green eyes almost seemed to sparkle. "You don't have to leave everything behind. You can return home eventually, and you don't have to be gone forever. I miss home, too, believe me!"

Red nodded. "I guess so. Maybe I should keep giving this more of a chance." He looked down at Charmander's joyful, expectant face. "After all, it's not just about me. I've caught these Pokémon, so they have come to trust me. I can show Mom and the world that I'm different from my Dad."

"That's right!" Brock placed his weathered hand on Red's shoulder, gripping with an uncommon strength. "Go to Cerulean City. Defeat Misty, and then see how you feel. After all, once you earn two badges, you're free to go home, but I implore you, Red; don't waste this opportunity. Not everyone who trains Pokémon has the same potential. There are countless youngsters and bug-catching hobbyists in my city, and believe me, they won't be defeating me or any of the other Gym Leaders soon. You have the strength, and you have the potential.

As Red took in Brock's words, he could feel a warmth radiating from in front of him. Maybe that's my heart, Red thought. The warmth grew, a light appeared as well, and Red quickly realized that it wasn't him, it was Charmander. He was cloaked in light, just like Leaf's Nidoran had been. He could see Charmander's form rapidly changing in the light, his arms and legs growing longer, his back arching over, his tail growing. Leaf and Brock too shielded their eyes. The light eventually dissipated, and Charmander had evolved. His skin now a dark, burnt orange, his eyes sharper, his fangs longer, and a sole horn from the crown of his head jutted out, almost like an adolescent dragon.

" _Meleon!"_ He blurted out, as if unfamiliar with his new voice.

"Red, Charmander evolved!" Leaf stammered as she fished in her bag for her Pokédex. "It's Charmeleon!"

"Ch-charmeleon…" Red couldn't control his arms as they opened up, and his newly evolved Charmeleon ran into them for a hug. The tears fell as Red embraced his friend.

"Amazing." Brock murmured, his finger finding his chin in thought.

"Yeah." Red struggled to say. "You're amazing, Charmeleon."

* * *

Red and Leaf said their goodbyes to Brock as he made his way back to the Gym. Brock had almost forgotten to give Red his other prize for winning: a technical machine. A technical machine, or TM for short, was a wondrous item that allowed trainers to teach their Pokémon new attacks they couldn't learn through normal growth. In this case, Brock gave Red the TM for Rock Tomb, the move he had used against him. It was a thin, tan disc, and fit inside the TM case that had come with his new backpack. After the two grabbed a quick bite to eat in Leaf's room, she began to pack up.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Red asked. "I know you said you wanted to head to Mt. Moon, but aren't you coming back?"

She shook her head. "Nope! There's a Pokémon Center at Mt. Moon, just outside the entrance. If I don't find my Pokémon tonight, I'll stay in the center and come back the next day. If I find it, I'll continue on to Cerulean City and stay the night there before taking on the Gym."

"Isn't Mt. Moon really big, though?" Red sat up on the bed. "What if you get lost?"

"That's where you come in, Red!" She giggled, turning to face him. "You're coming with me! I want you to help me."

"W-wait, what?" Red chuckled nervously. "Leaf, I dunno about this. What if something really bad happens? Like a cave-in or something?"

Leaf rolled her eyes so hard Red feared that they'd fly out of her head. "Don't be such a worrywart, Red. I appreciate the concern but remember: we have our Pokémon. I need you, specifically, because your Charmeleon and Pikachu can provide light in the cave."

Red hated to admit it, but she was right. Pikachu could generate small bursts of light with his electricity, and Charmeleon's tail was always lit, providing a constant source of light. Nonetheless, Red honestly preferred accompanying her than not. He'd rather be with her than go at his own pace, and lose sleep over worrying. "Okay, I'll go, but let's try and make it through the cave tonight. We should head out soon, since there may be some other trainers along the way."

Leaf brushed off her jeans, which Red had noticed she had chosen today instead of her miniskirt. "Sounds like a plan, Red. You and me, we're unbeatable! Don't fret, okay?"

As dumb as it sounded, he honestly agreed. There were certainly stronger trainers out there, but together, they could easily face one stronger trainer and come out victorious. Red pushed his fears away, deciding they were irrational. "I won't! Not after my last battle, at least. We don't have much sunlight left. Let's go."

 **July 2nd, 1996 (7:47 PM)**

Red could remember as a child, whenever he would have extended family over, he and his older cousins would play outside once it became dark. Pallet Town had huge, sprawling fields and small wooded areas, perfect for playing hide-and-seek. While the darkness scared him as a child, Red still felt a rush of adrenaline playing and running around in the pitch-black abyss, knowing that one of his cousins would probably jump out and scare him sooner or later.

Red thought back to those times fondly as he and Leaf hiked up Route 4's winding, rocky trail. He only remembered because, at the moment, he was feeling the exact same sense of excitement and worry, but simultaneously enjoying himself. It had certainly gotten dark, but the stars and Charmeleon's fire gave them enough light to continue on. The dirt and grass crunched underneath their feet, all the while Red heard the cries of Pokémon or creatures he didn't know.

"You doing okay back there, Red?" Leaf asked him. She had changed into comfier clothes, jean shorts, and an orange top much like the greenish-blue one she had worn the day they left Pallet Town. "You scared?"

"No, I'm not scared. I'm fine, Charmeleon's light is really bright. We can see far ahead." Red replied, slightly irritated at Leaf's motherly behavior. While he was flattered she cared, he wasn't five!

"Good to hear. We're almost to the entrance of the cave, I can see the lights of the Pokémon Center."

Sure enough, on top of a hilly incline, the familiar red roof of the Pokémon Center shined outwards. While it was close, the battle to get there had just begun. The hill they had to climb was rocky and steep, and they had to watch every step to make sure they wouldn't trip. Red was really glad his mom had gotten him new shoes since they had good grips and soles.

"Geez, this is steep," Red grunted as he continued up the hill slowly.

"Thanks for the report, Captain Obvious," Leaf snarked back, dusting off her legs. "We're almost there, so let's just keep-ack!"

"Leaf!" Red could only watch as Leaf tripped and fell forward into the dusty hill, the impact not at all softened by the ground she landed on.

"O-ow…" Leaf whimpered as Red rushed to her side."What did I even trip on?"

Without warning, the stone near Leaf's foot began to dislodge itself, and floated towards them, its true form becoming apparent. It was a Geodude, which had been sleeping partially lodged in the ground, that is until Leaf had rudely tripped over it, waking it up.

" _Geo, geo!"_ It barked, indignant that it had been woken up. It brought its knuckle into its palm, cracking them with a stony, rock-scraping-on-rock sound.

"You okay?" Red asked as he helped her stand up.

"Y-yeah, but I scraped my knee," She replied, brushing off her legs. Sure enough, Red glanced at her kneecap, and there was a decently-sized scrape, covered in dirt and bleeding.

"I'll take care of the Geodude." Red beckoned her behind him. Charmeleon came forward, growling and baring his claws.

"Metal Claw!" Red commanded. Charmeleon leaped forward, smashing his tail against the Geodude, knocking him down. He then leaped on him, tearing away with claws that shined metallic gray in the limited light. The onslaught was too much for Geodude, and it remained on the ground, unconscious.

"Thanks," Leaf mumbled as she nursed her knee. "Guess I need to watch where I'm going, huh?"

"Let's get to the Center and we can take a look at it. No use dressing a wound in the dark." Red replied, taking her hand. "Hold on to me. I don't want you falling again."

Leaf felt her face heat up as Red took charge. Charmeleon, too, also came to Leaf's opposite side, as if to protect her. His skin was warm, even though she wasn't touching it, she could feel his heat. "O-okay, Red."

The two bridged the gap to the Center and much to their surprise and joy, the ground had flattened once they got to the top. They walked inside; Red made sure to let go of her hand, so as to not give anyone any ideas.

"Welcome! It's pretty late, you two," The receptionist chirped. There were only a couple other people in the building.

The two teens gave their Pokémon over to the receptionist to be healed. They had encountered a few late-evening trainers on their way, and as such, they had been tuckered out by the battles. Red had also taken the time before they left to deposit Beedrill into the PC since both he and it weren't terribly interested in cooperating. That left Red with Pikachu, Pidgey, and Charmeleon, and Leaf still had Ivysaur and Nidorina. Red was confident in their skill, and he was feeling less nervous about getting through the cave.

While the receptionist tended to their Pokémon, Red helped Leaf with her scraped knee. He had a small first aid kit in his bag, and after disinfecting the wound, placed a large bandage over it, covering it completely.

"Feel better?" Red asked.

"Actually, yeah," Leaf sat up, bending her knees experimentally. "It's like normal. Thanks, Red! See, this is why I wanted you to come with me. You're a huge help."

"Gee," Red felt warm in the face. "I'm not really doing much, Leaf. I'm sure you could find anybody to provide light and bandage knee scrapes."

Leaf scoffed good-naturedly at his sarcastic remark. "Stop it, dummy. You've been great so far, you just needed a kick in the butt."

"If you're referring to Brock, that was the gentlest kick in the butt I've ever gotten."

The two continued to laugh and bicker until the receptionist returned their Pokémon. After placing them back on her belt, Leaf pulled out from her backpack what appeared to be a brochure. She opened it up and revealed a large map.

"I found this in Pewter City; it's a map of Mt. Moon." She told him. "We just have to make sure to follow this, and we'll be out of the cave in around an hour or two. No big deal!"

Red nodded, analyzing the map himself. "There's a lot of areas that are outside the main path. You said you're looking for a specific Pokémon?"

She nodded. "Yep." Blushing, Leaf looked both directions before leaning closer. Red could feel the heat from her breath. "I'll tell you if you promise not to laugh." She whispered.

"Laugh? Why would I laugh?" Red chuckled.

"B-because it's dumb…" She trailed off. "And girly, too. I just can't resist! I want a…" She trailed off again, blushing. "A Clefairy."

Red remembered seeing lots of commercials and TV shows featuring Clefairy. It was a small, pink Pokémon with tiny wings and a tail, and it was extremely popular with girls due to its cuteness. Red did have to restrain a chuckle, due to the fact that while Leaf was a girl, she never had an interest in "girly" stuff. She had always admired trainers with stronger, more masculine Pokémon than cuter ones.

"Hey, I think that's pretty cool," Red chuckled. "I understand. Clefairy is a rare Pokémon, too, so you should find one for the Pokédex. It's not dumb, Leaf. Nothing you do is dumb, okay? Besides, it makes sense you want a cuter Pokémon to balance out Ivysaur and Nidorina, right?" Red quickly realized the weight of his previous question. "I-I mean, it's not like they _aren't_ cute, but just not in a con-conventional way! Heh…"

Wow, Red's on a roll tonight, she thought. Leaf played with her hands as she looked away shyly. "Thanks, Red. Means a lot coming from you."

He winked at her. "Sure thing. Now," He stood up from the couch. "We should get going. It's best if we made it to the city before too long."

Leaf and Red wordlessly agreed and left the Center, receiving a goodbye and a request to be careful from the receptionist. While the earth had flattened out near the cave, the entrance showed the start to bumpy floors again, and the two could feel the heat and moist air coming from inside. It was also pitch-dark, and they couldn't see their hands in front of them.

"Charmeleon." Red released his Pokémon, whose flaming tail lit up the area of about three feet around them. Charmeleon grunted and growled at the uneven footing, but continued on, nonetheless.

"Lead the way, Red." Leaf ushered him in with her hands.

"What about 'ladies first'"? He replied cheekily.

Leaf rolled her eyes, her hand meeting her face in mock disgust. "You're so hopeless, Red."


	6. Mt Moon

_**Hey guys, It's been a while, huh...yeah, sorry. I came back from Japan, went to work, went back to school, got a new job, went back to school, and now I'm here at it's finally March! Where has the time gone?**_

 ** _Anyway, thanks so much for your feedback, all of you! I'm very glad this story has been so well received so far! So, please don't hesitate to review and give some feedback! I'm also open to PMs for more intensive discussion! I'm all ears!_**

* * *

 **July 2nd, 1996 (8:56 PM)**

Red quickly realized that his heightened mood from earlier was due to ignorance, not bravery or bravado.

"Leaf, I dunno if this was a good idea…" Red whimpered as he moved out of the way of a stalagmite in the ground. While Charmeleon's light was decent, the cave was still hard to see, and they were groping in the darkness.

"Red, if you say that one more time, I'll personally escort you out of the cave and I'll go to Cerulean City by myself." Leaf growled, frustrated at her friend's cowardice. "It'll be fine, I promise."

"Alright, if you say so...sorry I'm like this, I just don't like when I can barely see."

"Believe me, Red, I don't either. Mt. Moon isn't very big, so we'll be out soon, I promise."

The cave was large and sprawling, with almost no light. The squeaks of Zubat, a small, purple bat-like Pokémon with no eyes, reverberated through the cave like a steady drumbeat. While she didn't admit it to Red, she was grateful for the save earlier with the Geodude, and she had started to be more mindful of where she stepped. The two had been occasionally attacked by wild Pokémon, so Charmeleon and Nidorina walked alongside them for protection.

The two hadn't been avoiding trainers, either. Even though it was getting late, several people were in the cave training and battling their Pokémon, especially hikers. Red and Leaf had defeated one hiker in a double battle, his combination of Geodude and Machop, a small, grey, muscly humanoid Pokémon, failing to defeat Ivysaur and Charmeleon.

"You kids are pretty tough!" He chuckled as he handed them prize money. "Keep your wits about ya, though. I heard there were some troublemakers in this cave lately."

"Troublemakers?" Leaf asked. Red could feel cold sweat forming on his neck.

"It's a name that strikes fear into the hearts of trainers everywhere: Team Rocket! They're men and women in black clothes, looking for weak trainers to ambush and steal their Pokémon! I heard that they were lookin' for fossils here in Mt. Moon to sell. Brock's been trying to root 'em out for weeks!"

 _"_ _Weeks?"_ Red thought to himself. If they were such a problem, why didn't he warn them about Team Rocket? Maybe it was because he thought highly of them as trainers. "Thanks, sir. We appreciate the warning." Leaf replied, a cute smile on her face.

"No problem, kids! Stay safe!" The hiker walked away in the opposite direction, his voice echoing endlessly in the dank abyss of Mt. Moon.

"Leaf! Let's just turn back!" Red moaned, his legs shaking. "I don't wanna mess with criminals!"

"Red, it'll be okay. We won't dilly-dally, we'll just make it through the cave. Now that I know that there are bad dudes in here, I'll just come back and look for Clefairy tomorrow."

"O-okay, if you say so. Let's move!"

The two continued forward, going down a small set of metal stairs to a lower level of the cave, which apparently led to the exit. However, they were greeted with something else entirely: two men in black, digging with shovels and pickaxes in the corner of the room.

"Red, hide!" Leaf hissed as she pulled him behind a rock. They listened intently, hoping to hear what they were saying.

"...believe we're stuck on stinkin' digging duty again! It's all because of you can't stay awake in the afternoon, Mikey!" The man yelling was thin and dangly, with sharp features and an unnaturally long nose.

"I'm sorry, Jed! After I eat lunch, my body gets all warm and fuzzy, and I just fall asleep!" Mikey appeared to be much larger than his friend, Jed, his cheeks red with exhaustion.

"Quit givin' me excuses! You'll get us both demoted to the lowest rank! They'll take away our Pokémon!"

Mikey whimpered. "Quit scaring me, Jed! The Boss wouldn't do that!"

"Oh, yes he would! It happened to Sammy last week, and it'll happen to us if you don't get your chubby butt in gear! Now, _dig!"_

Mikey and Jed continued to dig at an increased speed as Leaf and Red listened intently. Red feared the worst and didn't want to tangle with apparent criminals.

"Let's make a break for it. Maybe we can sneak past them." Red whispered.

"No, just wait a few more minutes. They might go to a different area." She replied, fiddling for Nidorina's Pokéball. "Return, girl." She recalled her Pokémon, but what she forgot was the noise that accompanied it.

"Hey, who's there?!" Jed stood up, pulling a ball from his belt. He sneered. "We won't hurt ya, just show yourselves."

"It's probably just kids again, Jed." Mikey stood up, stretching. "Can't go after everyone, man."

"Zip it, moron! Show yourselves! Don't wanna ask again!"

Red sighed, knowing they were in checkmate. "Let's go, Leaf."

She nodded as they revealed themselves from behind the rock. "We're just passing through." Leaf stated slowly. "We don't mean any harm, and we won't bother you if you let us pass."

"Huh, it is just kids," Jed mumbled to himself. "Too late, sweetie! You saw us, so that means you can't escape. Zubat!"

Jed threw out his own Pokéball, revealing a denizen of Mt. Moon that Red and Leaf had of which they had seen dozens: Zubat. It flapped its battish wings, screeching shrilly. "Mikey, help me out, here."

"Ugh, fine," He pulled out his own Pokéball. "Sandshrew!"

The little brown rodent was released from its ball, and it landed with a sandy thump. It was two on two, and they couldn't afford to lose.

"Charmeleon!"

"Ivysaur!"

Charmeleon, who was already present, launched itself onto the field. Ivysaur sauntered to its side, ready to pounce.

"Astonish on Charmeleon!"

Zubat began emitting a horrible scream, and flew into Charmeleon, sending him back.

"Use Ember!"

Instead of obeying, Charmeleon held its arms up, defending itself.

"What?!" Red cried. He pulled out his Pokédex. "It's flinching?"

"Yeah, that's right, kid," Jed wanted to say something snappy in reply but found himself dumbfounded at Red's Pokédex. "Y-y-you have a Pokédex?!"

"Yeah, of course, I do!" Red replied. "Leaf has one, too!"

"You idiot, why would you tell them that?" She exclaimed. "These aren't friendly trainers, Red!"

"Leaf?" Mikey scoffed. "What a weird name. Kids these days, getting dumb names from their parents. Scratch on Ivysaur!"

Sandshrew couldn't run very fast, but it instead curled up and rolled to its target at an alarming speed. It brought its claws down on Ivysaur's face, forcing its eyes closed.

"Ivysaur, no! Use Vine Whip on Sandshrew!"

Ivysaur commanded thin vines from its flower bulb and struck Sandshrew, dealing heavy damage. With a cry, it fainted.

"W-what?! Already?! Worthless!" In his anger, Mikey kicked the downed Pokémon before returning it.

"Hey, don't do that! You're a trainer!" Red barked, his bravery increasing.

"So what?" Jed replied, crossing his arms. "We're Team Rocket, and we treat Pokémon how we want. If they fail, they disappear. Bite on Charmeleon!"

Zubat flew down again, sinking its fangs into Charmeleon's hide. He hissed and flailed, trying to lodge his unwanted passenger free.

"Finally! Metal Claw!"

Because Zubat was so close, he couldn't dodge. With two hard swipes, Zubat flew off, unconscious.

"Stupid kids!" Jed barked as he withdrew his Pokémon. "We won't forget this!" The two ran off into the darkness of the cave, leaving Red and Leaf panting in the semi-darkness.

"That was...exciting?" Leaf chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, that's one word for it. More like terrifying." Red replied. "Let's keep going."

The two continued into the cave, where, fortunately, there had been more development done, and lights had been installed. The dim cave now completely lit, the two continued on without fear of tripping or being attacked by an unseen enemy. Since the area was lighted, they didn't encounter very many Zubats, as they were creatures that liked the dark and feared light. The occasional Geodude popped up, only to be swiftly disposed of by Charmeleon or Ivysaur. Another new Pokémon, Paras, also appeared. It was a small, orange insectile Pokémon with big eyes, claws, and two red and yellow polka-dot mushrooms on its back. Apparently, it was both Bug and Grass-type, meaning Charmeleon could defeat them without breaking a sweat.

The two turned what seemed to be the millionth corner that night, only to be greeted with a familiar and unwanted sight: another Team Rocket member. This time, he hunched over something that was blocked from view.

"He's distracted," Red whispered. "Let's hurry past him."

"...Hold on. Something doesn't seem right, here." Leaf replied, crouching behind the corner.

They listened and were rewarded with the distance words of the grunt echoing in the cave.

"...yeah, you like that! That'll teach you to throw rocks at me, you little turd!"

The man in black stood up, brushing off his knees and rubbing his neck, as if in pain. He then walked away, into a deeper part of the cave, leaving behind what was blocked by his back: a beaten, dirty...something.

"Oh, my God!" Leaf charged forward, leaving Red in the dust. Instead of protesting, he decided to go along with it, as to not make her mad again. Besides, someone, or something, was hurt.

Red rejoined Leaf, and they gazed in horror at what appeared to be a Clefairy, but beaten, bloody, and bruised. It lay unmoving, face down on the dirt floor of the cave.

"...No…" Leaf moaned, burying her hands in her face. "If we had only gotten here five minutes sooner…"

"Leaf, it's not your fault." Red tried to reassure her. "It's the man's fault. As much as I want to make this right, we can't stand up to those guys, Leaf. Who knows how many there are?"

Leaf sniffed, not replying. She moved her hand to touch the Clefairy's leg, but it suddenly stirred. A small gasp escaped her lips as the pink creature slowly sat up on its rear, rubbing its eyes. _"...Fairy?"_

"Oh, it's alive!" Red cried with joy. Knowing what to do, Leaf reached into her bag and pulled out the right tool for the job: a super potion. It was like a potion but contained twice as much medicine, and therefore restored more health. Trainers with only one badge couldn't buy them, but that doesn't mean that Leaf couldn't use one she had found on the ground in the cave earlier.

"Here you go, sweetie." She purred, spritzing the entire bottle on the Pokémon's body and face. Like magic, the Clefairy's wounds began to mend, and altogether disappear. After checking its body for any wounds left, Clefairy sprang up, chirping with glee.

 _"_ _Fairy, fairy!"_ It sang, dancing all the while. After it calmed down, it raced to Leaf's legs embracing them. The little pudgy creature was warm and vibrant, and its pink skin was smooth and soft to the touch.

"Aw, you're welcome!" Leaf cooed as she rubbed its head. "You can go along now, little guy. We'll take care of that bad man for you. Just don't get into any more trouble, okay?"

Red sighed with relief. "Wow, Leaf, that was impressive. Glad this Clefairy is okay. Do you wanna try and catch it?"

"Yeah, but I'll try and catch a different one, seeing as this one was injured." She shrugged. "It isn't any fun trying to catch weakened Pokémon that were hurt from the start."

Red was impressed with Leaf's statement, and he agreed with it as well. There wasn't much use in battling a weakened opponent, anyway. "Let's keep going. Can't afford to get too sidetracked."

"Right you are, dude. We're almost through."

The duo turned to leave but was met with loud protests from Clefairy. It squeaked and cried out, tears forming in its black, almost sclera-less eyes. _"...Fairy?"_

"Aw, Clefairy," Leaf murmured as she bent down to pet its head. "You can go along now! You're okay, now. That man is dangerous, and I don't want you getting hurt again."

Clefairy shook its head, a scowl forming on its normally placid and cute face. It stomped its tiny, pink and white foot into the ground, kicking up a small dirt cloud around its feet. _"Fairy, Fairy!"_

"Are you saying you want to come with us?" Leaf asked.

It nodded vigorously. _"Fairy!"_ Without warning, it ran around to Leaf's side and jumped up on her bag with shocking agility. Leaf didn't have time to react before it reached in and grabbed an empty Pokéball from the outside pocket.

 _"_ _Clefairy!"_ It squeaked, jumping off, ball in hand.

Leaf gave a half sigh, half laugh. "All right, you can come. This better not be a trick."

It shook its head again. It seemed to understand most of what Leaf said.

All the while during the exchange, Red watched with amazement. It was as if she was a Pokémon Whisperer or something. He was certainly glad Leaf had found a third Pokémon, as they now had the same amount. Red had learned in the trainer's school that it was best to have four Pokémon by your fourth badge, and six by your seventh. A team of six was hard to handle, but it was the maximum amount of power a trainer could legally carry at one time.

Clefairy had been captured without resistance, and Leaf placed its ball on her belt, right next to Ivysaur's and Nidorina's. "Wow, lucky me! Now, let's make like a banana and split on out of this cave!"

"Leaf, those are never going to catch on, you know."

"Red, remember the one thing I always tell you that you are? What is it?"

"That I'm hopeless?"

"Exactly. Now, let's move."

 **July 2nd, 1996 (10:12 PM)**

Red was beginning to get drowsy, and he could see Leaf wasn't shaping much better. Nonetheless, the exit was very close, but they had run into a few problems.

They had been ambushed by five Team Rocket members.

"Heheh, this'll be great." The man in the middle snickered. Jed and Mikey were also in the group, the former cracking his knuckles, the latter smiling unnaturally wide. The other three men prepared their Pokéballs from the belts, ready to fight.

Red and Leaf backed towards the wall of the cave, but they were not alone. They had run into another trainer in the cave, whose name was Miguel. He was a nervous young man and apparently had been doing a late-night fossil dig, since there would be fewer people to bug him. Red and Leaf had literally bumped into him, causing his bag of fossils to spill. Fortunately, none were broken, and the three quickly became friends. They were attempting to exit the cave before being ambushed.

"You stupid brats! Can't you just stay out of Team Rocket's way? We take what we want and go, and there's nothing you can do to stop us!" The lead grunt sneered, releasing a Rattata to battle with.

"You jerks! Y-you march in here, like s-some kind of tyrants, saying you get all t-the fossils for yourselves?" Miguel stammered, visibly afraid. "No more! I'm punishing you in Brock's place! Magnemite!"

Miguel released his own Pokémon, a small, metallic-grey creature. It was round, had one eye, and two u-shaped magnets sticking out from both sides. It floated in the air and spoke in a computerized monotone voice. _"MAGNEMITE"_.

"Pikachu!"

"Clefairy!"

Red and Leaf decided on a different approach to battling these guys. It was Pikachu, Clefairy, and Magnemite against three Zubats, two Rattatas, and Pokémon that hadn't seen before: Drowzee. It was large and elephant-like, with slanted eyes. The top half of its body was a yellowish color, the bottom half brown, including its hooves. According to the Pokédex, it was a Psychic-type.

"Miguel, work with me," Red told him. "Pikachu and Magnemite can take down the Zubats, right? 'Cause it's Electric-type?"

He nodded furiously, shaking. "Y-yeah! This'll show 'em! ThunderShock!"

Red commanded Pikachu as well, sending two separate bolts of electricity at the purple, flying menaces. Since they flew so close together, the electricity blasted through them, conducting through their wings. They all fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Shoot, they're too good!" The lead grunt snarled. "Rattata, Hyper Fang on Clefairy!"

"Counter with Pound!" Leaf ordered. Rattata bit down hard on Clefairy's arm, but it broadly smacked Rattata back with its free arm, sending it flying. "Now, try Metronome!"

Leaf hadn't known about Metronome before reading what the Pokédex had to say about it. It was an attack that did nothing by itself, but rather picked a random technique from the entire library of Pokémon techniques. It sounds great on paper, but sometimes, it results in something...useless.

Clefairy waggled its glowing finger, before suddenly producing mud in its hands, and lobbing it at the foe's face. Rattata staggered back, clawing at its eyes to remove the mud.

"Mud-Slap?" Leaf read on the Pokédex. "Okay, try Metronome again!"

"Not so fast, missy! Hypnosis!"

The grunt with the Drowzee had been formulating a plan since he hadn't been attacked. Instead of attacking the Pokémon, he would put a stop to the source of its power: its trainer. Drowzee's eyes glowed as it released visible waves at Leaf, which caught her in the face. Like water slipping through a person's hands, she fell asleep, gently falling face-first into the dirt.

"Leaf!" Red cried out, racing to her side. Pikachu and Miguel had beaten the other grunts back, only to come face to face with the two that were left.

The grunt and his Drowzee glared down at Clefairy, their forms seemingly getting bigger by the second. "Not so strong without your trainer, eh? Confusion!"

Drowzee unleashed an unseen wave at Clefairy, sending it back into the wall. It collapsed; tired, but not defeated, it carried out its trainers wish before falling unconscious. It waggled its finger, causing it to glow.

Nobody was prepared for what happened next.

Clefairy reached back and brought its arms forward, and with a shriek, unleashed an icy blast from its outstretched palms. The maelstrom struck Drowzee, freezing its legs in place. It also struck Rattata and both of the grunts still present, as the other three had made a break for it. The whole ordeal lasted about six seconds, but that was more than enough time to unleash a massive, wintry blast. Rattata and Drowzee both succumbed to the cold and fainted.

"W-w-what?!" The grunts stammered, teeth chattering. "T-this is ridiculous! Let's g-g-get out of here!"

The tried to run, but the attack from Clefairy had made the walls and floor slippery, causing them to fall. They scrambled to their feet, screaming in terror as they ran.

"Nice work, Clefairy!" Red cried, patting its head.

"T-that was really cool!" Miguel also commented. "Leaf's Pokémon are quite strong if I'd say so myself."

"Oh, crap, Leaf!" Red ran to the girl's side, where she was sleeping peacefully. "Hey, come on, Leaf! Wake up!"

"Touch her face or something, R-red," Miguel suggested, recalling Magnemite, who had floated over. "Facial stimuli is good for waking someone up."

Red felt the heat rise to his cheeks. "I don't wanna do that! That's weird!"

Miguel scoffed. "Why? Isn't she your sister?"

Red slapped his hand to his face. "No, Miguel! She's just my friend. We decided to travel through Mt. Moon together since she wanted a Clefairy and we both need to get to Cerulean City for our next badge."

"Wow, impressive! I'm not much of a battler, but I enjoy raising Pokémon. Here, I have an idea," he reached into his backpack and pulled out a small blue bottle. "It's an Awakening. It's used to wake up sleeping Pokémon, but it should work on humans as well."

"You sure this will work?" Red took the bottle with uncertainty.

"I'm about ninety-one percent sure, yes." He replied, crouching down over Leaf with Red. The latter asked himself why Miguel chose such an arbitrary number.

They had to flip Leaf over, careful to not hurt her. She slept peacefully, her chest rising and falling with every breath. Red didn't want to admit it, but his hormones were getting in the way of him thinking clearly. Nonetheless, he took the bottle of medicine and sprayed it over Leaf's face.

"Now what?" He asked.

"It takes a second. Be patient."

Leaf's face began to twitch. Red, not listening to Miguel, put his face over hers, mere inches away. He could feel her hot breath on his face as she squirmed in her sleep. "Leaf, wake up. You okay?"

"Nnngh…"

She slowly opened her eyes about a quarter of the way, seeing Red's face mere inches from her own. Without warning, her eyes shot open and she bolted upward, unintentionally giving Red a strong headbutt.

"OW!"

"Gah, ow!"

The two teens yelped in pain and embarrassment as they clutched their now sore foreheads. "Leaf, what was that for?!"

"Hey, you were the one inches from my face! You scared me!"

"We used an Awakening and you didn't wake up, I wanted to make sure you were okay!" Red protested, still clutching his head. He reached down and helped Leaf up, who brushed her pants off.

"I appreciate it, but let me wake up on my own time next time, dude," She chuckled, turning towards Miguel. "Hey, thanks for the Awakening. Guess those Rocket guys don't really like to play fair, attacking the trainer and all that."

Miguel pushed his glasses back up on his nose. "No, certainly not! Hopefully, that'll be the last time I see those boors around here again. With them gone, I can continue my research and study of the fossils in here."

"That's great, Miguel. Hope that goes well." Red smiled, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Say, how long has Team Rocket been digging here? Why hasn't Brock been able to do anything about it?"

Miguel shrugged. "I only started seeing them for about a couple weeks, and believe me, Brock has had his hands full with these criminals. They're just so elusive, he couldn't permanently remove them. They seem to be content to leave now, though, after being thrashed by two strong trainers and a novice researcher."

"Strong?" Red chuckled nervously, crossing his arms. "I wouldn't call us- I mean, me strong. I only have one badge."

"Quit being modest, Red; I only have one as well." She turned back to Miguel. "Yeah, we're novices as well. We plan on getting stronger, though!"

"I certainly hope so! Kanto needs strong trainers that are good and just, in order to remove scum like Team Rocket." He reached into his bag as he spoke. "Here, before you go, I have a gift to give you both. I have a dome fossil and a helix fossil here. I want you to take one each. Consider it a token of my appreciation."

"M-miguel, that's very kind, but you don't have to! We know fossils are important to you!" Leaf stammered, raising her hands up.

"Yeah, Miguel. You helped us, and we can escort you back to town, but don't feel the need to give us your research material." Red added.

The young man shook his head. "No, I insist, please. You two are more than capable trainers, and I want to help you two on your journeys. Besides, I see that you have Pokédexes, which means you're trying to catalog all Pokémon in the Kanto Region, a very difficult but admirable goal." He straightened his glasses before continuing. "Far away on the South Kanto Sea, there's a place called Cinnabar Island. There, you can go to a research lab to bring these fossils back to life. It will help you in your goals."

The two were silent for a moment, but they didn't need to speak to know what to do. "Thank you, Miguel. Thank you very much. I'll take the dome fossil."

Leaf reached out and took the small stone, which appeared to have a flat shell inside it. "Good choice, Leaf. So, that means this is yours, Red."

Red took the other stone, which contained a shell with a spiral pattern in it. "Thank you, Miguel. You're a swell guy, you know?"

Miguel gave an odd smirk, indicative of his nervousness. "A-aw, shucks, I'm just a normal guy, Red! You two are the extraordinary individuals. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get out of this smelly cave and head to the city!"

Leaf nodded. "Sounds like a plan!"

With Miguel in tow, the three left Mt. Moon without any consequence. The opening to the east side of Route 4 was quiet since it was so late. Red's watch read nearly midnight. The walk down to the bright city was easy and calm, and the grass felt nice underneath their feet after such a long time in the rocky cave.

Cerulean City was a city a little bigger than Pewter City, with a large bridge connecting it to the Routes 24 and 25. The bridge itself was also a popular spot for trainers to battle. Cerulean was also famous because the creator of the PC Storage System, Bill, lived in a cottage on Route 25.

The two arrived at the western gate to the city. Even though it was past midnight, there were many lights on and a few people mingling about, as well as cars driving down the many streets. The red roof of the Pokémon Center also glowed brighter than all else, just a block down the road from where they entered.

"Alright, this is where we split up. My house is down the opposite road, but I hope we see each other again sometime." Miguel said, turning the other way. "Good luck, you two!"  
"Bye, Miguel!" Leaf called out, waving as the young man disappeared into the night. Red waved as well, secretly hoping they would meet again.

"Okay," Leaf turned back to her friend. "Center?"

"Let's go!" Red said in relief.

The two made their way to the Center, where they healed their Pokémon and picked up rooms for the night. There were many vacancies, which Red found odd. Maybe Misty wasn't around or something, he thought. The cramped room in the Pokémon Center was almost like home, and he fell into mediocre bed, grateful for a cool place to sleep. Red didn't even bother to change his clothes, as sleep overcame him quickly.


	7. Vs Misty I

**Next chapter is here! Thanks for the favorites and follows! As always, I want to keep hearing from you, so be sure and drop a review! It means a ton! As for my lone reviewer's point, I do again apologize for the long hiatus. School has been really getting me this semester! Still, I hope to have a more regular posting schedule, maybe 2-3 a month, depending on how badly writer's block wants to bother me. Anyway, please enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **July 3nd, 1996 (9:04 AM)**

Red awoke when he wanted to, and that was just fine for him. Rolling over, he saw it was just a little bit past nine, but he figured that he'd get an early start. After showering and getting dressed, he made his way downstairs, where he purchased some breakfast for himself and his Pokémon using the prize money he had been winning.

"Wow, I've sure made a lot of money." He mumbled to himself as he went through his wallet, counting more than six thousand Pokémon Dollars. That was how much he could make in allowance in six months, and he had made it in just three days time. Pretty impressive, he thought.

He left the Center, the bright morning sun greeting him. It wasn't very hot yet, but that would change towards the afternoon. It was about nine forty-five, and he figured the Gym would be open. The sooner he defeated Misty, the better.

The Gym was barely a five-minute walk from the Center, and the daunting building was just as astounding as Brock's Gym had been. The differences between the two were apparent, too: Misty's Gym was painted a bluish color and had some aquatic plant motifs painting around the bottom, along with some fish Pokémon, too. The hours on the door read from nine to nine, so Red entered without delay.

The two forces of humidity and chlorine struck Red immediately, and it was immediately apparent that it was a Water-type Gym. There was a large pool in the center, and the battlefield was behind it. The floors were white cement with tile, and there were beach chairs along the sides of the pool. Swimmers and women in bikinis dotted the inside.

"Welcome, challenger."

A young woman clad in a one-piece swimsuit came to him from the side door. "Are you looking to battle Misty? She's accepting all challengers right now."

"Yeah, I want to battle her." He replied.

"Excellent! Please go and wait in the bleacher area, and she'll be with you shortly." The woman replied politely, dashing back into the office area.

Red excused himself to the bleachers, careful to not slip and fall on the wet floor. He got a few nasty looks from the swimmers, most likely due to his attire. Jeans, a t-shirt, and a vest didn't really go well with a pool.

"Hey, kid," A swimmer poked his head out of the water, scaring him slightly. "You taking on Misty?"

He nodded. "I plan on winning."

He chuckled. "Confidence, very nice! We had a young lady come in earlier, and she won herself the Cascade Badge as well."

"Wait," Red interjected. "Was she a little taller than me, brunette, probably wearing a blue top and red skirt?"

"Yeah, yeah," He said, scratching his chin. "You know her?"

Red lit up in the face. "Yeah, she's a friend of mine! Had another guy with brown spiky hair?"

"Yeah!" The man cried in amazement. "You a psychic or something, kid?"

"No, they're just my friends, er…" Red stopped himself. "One of them is my friend. The other is a rival of sorts."

"Oh," He drawled out in understanding. "Good stuff, kid. Well," He looked over towards the office, where two people were exiting. "Looks like your appointment has arrived. I'll talk to you later, young man. Name's Luis."

"I'm Red, from Pallet Town," Red replied. "It was nice to meet you, Luis."

"Likewise, young Red. Good luck on your match." With that final statement, he disappeared in the water.

Red was left alone for only a few seconds, as the woman from earlier came, with another young woman in tow. She had a blue, two-piece sport swimsuit, and her orange hair was tied in a single side-tail. "This is my challenger?"

"Yes, Misty." The woman replied.

She shrugged. "There have been quite a few good kids recently, so there's no problem. What's your name, kiddo?"

"I'm Red, from Pallet Town. I'm thirteen years old."

Misty's eyes lit up a bit, which made Red nervous. Did he say something wrong? "Hey, do you know the last two trainers that came in? Blue and...Leaf? Cassie? I think that's what she called herself."

"Yeah, they're friends, more or less." Red blurted out.

"More or less? What's that supposed to mean?" Misty's hands found her hips.

"Nothing. Anyway, are we going to battle?"

"Yep, but first," Misty brought her hand down on the other woman's shoulder. "You'll be battling my assistant, Diana."

"After defeating me, you can battle with Misty, Red," She said, her voice gentle. "It's this Gym's rules, sorry if it's an inconvenience."

Red shrugged. "It's fine."

The three made their way to the battlefield, which was as large as the pool was. The type of flooring was the same as the rest of the pool, though, and Red had to be careful not to slip.

"Alright, Red. Please choose your first Pokémon for battle." Diana spoke, her voice echoing due to the flatness of the area.

"Pikachu, go!"

Red started with an Electric-type, which would greatly benefit him in a Water-type Gym. He had no room for error, as he wanted to defeat Misty as soon as possible.

"Good choice. Goldeen!"

Diana released a small, orange and white fish Pokémon with frilly fins and a large horn on its head. It rested on the ground, its fins waving slightly. _"Deeeen…"_

Red didn't waste any time. "ThunderShock!"

Pikachu released a small blast of electricity, and it struck its mark perfectly. Goldeen was shocked and sent back several feet.

"Water Pulse!"

Goldeen fired a circular wave of water from its mouth, which homed in on Pikachu.

"Dodge, then use Quick Attack!"

Pikachu tried to run, but it lost its balance on the wet floor, causing it to slip. The attack glanced across its body, dealing minor damage. Pikachu then sped up, slamming into Goldeen.

"Now, Fury Attack while it's close!"

With a cry, Goldeen began rapidly jabbing its horn at Pikachu, scoring a few hits. It was the same as Beedrill's attack, only its horn was on its head, not its arms. Pikachu, fell back, panting and awaiting a new command.

"Try ThunderShock again!"

"Dodge, Goldeen!"

Goldeen hung right and managed to skate across the wet ground, avoiding the attack. Though not commanded, Goldeen went in for another Fury Attack.

"Try and dodge, then ThunderShock again!" Red commanded.

After taking one or two blows, Pikachu managed to maneuver around Goldeen so it couldn't strike him anymore, and released another ThunderShock. This time, it completed its task and Goldeen fell, unconscious.

"Red wins the battle," Diana said, recalling her fallen Pokémon. "Nice job. Red. Now, you may challenge Misty."

"It was a good match, thanks!" Red chuckled. "Uh, this is probably a stupid question, but can I heal my Pokémon, or is that not allowed?"

Diana nodded, smiling. "Of course you can. We encourage it."

Misty and Diana traded places as Red spritzed Pikachu with a potion, making sure he was in top shape. "Alright, Pikachu. Let's see if we can do this. You ready?"

Pikachu nodded with a squeak and took his place on the battlefield, on all fours and ready to battle.

"How many Pokémon will you use, Red?" Misty asked.

"Three!" He replied.

"Sounds good to me! I'll finish this in five minutes or less. Staryu!"

Misty threw out a blue ball with red notches at the ten and two o'clock mark, which Red recognized as a Great Ball. They were used by trainers with more experience, apparently. The Pokémon that came out was shaped like a star, colored brown with a yellow center area, and a red, crystalline core at its center. _"Hyah!"_ It cried.

"You get the first move, Red," Misty called out, a half-smirk on her face.

"ThunderShock!"

The bolt didn't even get close to Staryu, as it evaded on its own, flying around like an edged frisbee.

"Tackle!"

Staryu rammed into Pikachu, sending it back several feet. However, Staryu forced itself to land, as it was coated in what appeared to be small electric currents.

"Tch...Static." Misty grumbled. Pikachu had an Ability where if it was attacked with something that made contact, it could paralyze the foe. Staryu, now paralyzed, had its speed reduced and risked being unable to attack. "No more messing around! Water Pulse, and watch carefully!"

"Pikachu, dodge and use ThunderShock!"

Pikachu ran along the side of the battlefield, waiting for Staryu to release its attack. After picking an appropriate time, Staryu fired the blue wave of water at Pikachu, who didn't have time to look before struck. It continued to move, albeit slower, and released its attack, striking Staryu with a bolt of electricity.

"Staryu, Recover!" Misty ordered, her voice pitching higher. She knew she was in for a tough fight.

Staryu's body began to glow, and its burns and scrapes began to disappear. It had regained most of its health back and was now ready to fight again.

"Crap, that's bad," Red commented to himself. "Stay alert, Pikachu! ThunderShock again!"

Pikachu released another attack, but Staryu flew back in the air. Despite being paralyzed, Staryu had found its second wind, and without a command from Misty, released another Water Pulse, striking Pikachu. The yellow rodent had enough, and collapsed, exhausted.

"W-what?" Red gasped. "How are you giving Staryu commands without calling them out?!"

Misty shrugged. "I don't always have to command my Pokémon because of training, kiddo. You'll learn in due time, hopefully. Send out your next Pokémon, 'Red from Pallet Town'."

The way she derisively said his name stung. "Pidgey, go!"

Red released his young bird Pokémon, which did a large loop in the air before coming to Red's shoulder, wanting to be pet.

"I know, I know, good morning, Pidgey. There's a battle, though. Go and get 'em!"

With a loud coo, Pidgey flew to the battlefield. Ready for action. While Red didn't think Pidgey would do too much, he figured he could pick off a weakened opponent. "Quick Attack!"

Pidgey shot forward as if blasted from a cannon, knocking Staryu back. "Now, Gust!"

Misty didn't have time to command Staryu again as it was caught up the small tornado Pidgey had created with its wing flaps. The paralysis had taken full effect, and Staryu was blown back to Misty, its red core dimming, and finally darkening completely.

Misty grumbled as she recalled Staryu, planning her next attack. Pidgey seemed like the weak link on Red's team, as that Pikachu had been quite strong. Still, she didn't know what else he had in store, but she would find out now.

"Starmie!"

A new Great Ball flew into the air, releasing a new fighter: Starmie. It was like Staryu, except it was purple, and had four arms attached to its back as well. Its core wasn't circular like Staryu's, rather it was shaped like a diamond, flashing keenly in the sun. _"Haa!"_ It's cry sounded like a woman exhaling loudly.

"Stand your ground, Pidgey! Be careful!" Red ordered. Pidgey cooed, flapping in place and staring its new opponent down.

"Swift, Starmie!" Misty commanded, pointing at Pidgey.

Starmie released several floating yellow stars from its core and fired them at Pidgey. Sensing the danger, Pidgey flew up, but the stars followed him.

"Pidgey, loop around! Don't let them hit you!"

Pidgey did as he was told, but he couldn't shake his pursuers. After a few more seconds of flying, they eventually crashed into him, exploding. Pidgey met the ground hard but picked himself up slowly.

"Now, finish it with Water Pulse!" Misty ordered.

Too tired to move, Pidgey could only watch as the Water-type attack struck him. He flew back towards ready, wings spread and unconscious.

"This is bad," Red muttered to himself. His last Pokémon was Charmeleon, and he wouldn't be able to do much against Misty's Water-type Pokémon. Still, that didn't mean he should try, right?

"Charmeleon, I'm counting on you!" Red cried as he released his first partner: Charmeleon. With a snort, he stood up, sizing up his opponent.

"Careful, Charmeleon. It's a Water-type. Stay on your toes." Red warned him. Charmeleon grunted in response. Good, Red thought, Charmeleon understands what he needs to do.

"I'm not waiting anymore, Red! Swift!"

Starmie shot out the stars again, and Charmeleon let them hit him instead of dodging.

"Metal Claw, Charmeleon! Use the smoke to your advantage!"

"I don't think so! Water Pulse!" Misty shot back.

Charmeleon leaped through the smoke from the previous attack, careening towards Starmie, claws shining. Starmie had shot the attack forward, completely missing him. Charmeleon landed on Starmie, his weight pushing it flat on the ground with him on top. With a roar, he began slashing at Starmie, which shrieked.

"You just made a huge mistake, Red! Water Pulse!"

Starmie's core began to glow, and it blasted the circular force of water from it, sending Charmeleon sky-high. He landed next to Red in an ungainly heap, unconscious. It was over. He had lost.

Red recalled Charmeleon, silently thanking him for his hard work. How could it have ended so quickly, he thought. He thought he had Starmie on the ropes, but it had fooled him. Misty's strategy was unlike Brock's, in that she didn't always have to order her Pokémon to do something. They were so well trained they didn't have to be commanded each time. How would he ever do that?

"Hey,"

Red was snapped out of his thoughts by none other than Misty, who had walked to his side of the field. "It was a good match, Red. I heard about you from Brock, and I believe it when he said you were good. Try again tomorrow, okay? I'll be here."

Red refused to look at her in the eye, knowing that she would see his tears. "I'll pass. Thanks for the match."

He pressed seven hundred Pokédollars in her hand before exiting the arena. He didn't bother looking at anybody since he had nothing to say. He had lost, after all. He needed to figure out something, and fast. A new strategy, anything! Even a new team member, if possible. With a plastic slam, the door to the gym shut, and Red ran to the Pokémon Center, his eyes still clouded with tears.

Misty sighed. "He's an interesting kid."

Diana nodded. "He's so young, too. All three of those kids are so different, yet they're all walking the same path. They have Pokédexes, right?"

Luis had gotten out of the pool at came up to them, dripping wet. "Red's a good kid. I can tell. He just needs to work a little harder, I think."

Misty crossed her arms. "He better come back more prepared. After all, he's hanging up his hat after this Gym."

"What?" Luis said in surprise. "He's quitting?"

Misty shrugged. "Brock told me that he wants to quit after getting my badge since that's all that's required by law. He begged Red to reconsider, but it's not guaranteed that he'll listen."

Diana sighed. "I don't know what he's feeling, but I hope he can overcome it. There aren't many young men like him these days."

"Yeah, you got that right," Misty chuckled. "I certainly didn't expect that Blue Oak to be such a firecracker, the way he talked to me. Still, he was a very skilled trainer." She stretched, recalling her Starmie, who had stopped to take a rest. "We'll have to see, though. I'm anticipating a great match from him, soon. Let's just see if he delivers."

 **July 4nd, 1996 (11:46 AM)**

Red had been so dejected by his loss that he stayed in the Pokémon Center room for the rest of the day, sitting in silence. He only came out to eat once or twice, and then went to bed. He couldn't face his Pokémon, and he was thanking any and all possible celestial beings that Leaf wasn't there. He wanted to rethink his strategy and get back at it the next day.

The next morning, Red had left his room in the Pokémon Center and had a long discussion with two people he trusted: The Professor and his mom.

"Red, I can't say much more than to analyze the battle and think up of new strategies. Surely, there's a chink in Misty's armor somewhere," The professor had told him. "No Pokémon is invincible. Starmie is fast and powerful, but it doesn't like to take hits. It likes to strike first, and hard, and knock out foes in succession. Keep Charmeleon out of the battle, if you can. Use Pikachu! I'm very glad you found one, since they are quite helpful and powerful, especially to those struggling with Misty. Good luck, young man!"

Red's mom had simply offered encouragement. "Honey, I don't know enough about battling to offer advice, but I can tell you to not give up. You're smart, and you can defeat Misty just like you defeated Brock. I'm cheering for you!"

Since the day had been young still, Red decided to go back to Route 4 and train, mainly with Pikachu and Pidgey, since they would be doing most of the fighting against Misty. He took what the professor said to heart, about how Starmie was an offensive Pokémon by nature, and that it didn't want to take any hits. He drilled evasion techniques with Pikachu for two hours, resulting in Pikachu learning a new attack: Double Team. Pikachu used its speed to create illusory copies of itself, around seven or eight, which would confuse its foes.

After that, he called out Pidgey, who had been in a foul mood lately. Red figured it was because they had lost the battle, but Pidgey was also more aggressive than usual, attacking harder and faster. They honed and refined Quick Attack and Gust for a while before something wondrous happened.

Pidgey evolved.

The familiar light of evolution came, wrapping its power over Pidgey. Red shut his eyes from the brightness, and when he opened them, there was a new Pokémon standing there: Pidgeotto. It was similar to Pidgey, only it was larger, had sharper talons and more pronounced eye markings, along with a great red crest on its head.

 _"Pidgeooo!"_ It cawed loudly, beating its wings.

"Awesome! You evolved!" Red took his Pokémon in his arms, where it nuzzled it closer. The Pokédex also showed a new attack it had learned: Whirlwind. The attack would cause a great gust of wind, one so great that it forced the current battling Pokémon to fly back into its Pokéball.

"We're going to use this move to beat Misty, okay?" He asked his feathered friend.

Pidgeotto happily cawed in response. Since Pidgey had evolved, he figured they were done for the day, so Red recalled him. He figured Charmeleon would be somewhat interested, so he released him. With a yawn, Charmeleon stretched, a content look across his draconic face.

They made their way up the route until they heard grunts and the sounds of fighting nearby. Now on high alert, Red and Charmeleon ducked behind a bush.

"It could be Team Rocket again. Stay quiet, buddy," Red whispered, holding his finger to his lips. Charmeleon wordlessly obeyed.

Red peeked out from the bush, only to see, about a few yards away, two men in karate garb, duking it out. One was throwing punch after punch, sweat flying off his face. The other was using his legs to fire kicks, and they were so fast Red couldn't see them completely. It was quite the spectacle.

"Admit it, Takeshi!" The punching man barked. "You're jealous of my punches!"

"Shut it and fight, Shinji! My kicks are more than enough to handle you! I don't need my fists!"

The two continued for several seconds as Red approached them. They seemed to be having some kind of disagreement, or at least it seemed. "Uh, are you two okay?"

The both stopped, turning to stare at Red. "Who are you, kid?"

"Uh," Red began, actually surprised they stopped. "I'm Red, from Pallet Town. You guys are…"

"I am Shinji, and I use punches to defeat my foes." He beckoned towards Takeshi. "This oaf is Takeshi, who foolishly only uses kicks to fight."

"You dare insult me!" Takeshi growled at his foe. "In front of a kind stranger, no less!"

"Whoa, whoa, guys," Red laughed. "I think both of you are really cool. Why don't you learn from each other?"

The two men humphed and faced away from each other. "Because we don't need useless techniques!" They said in unison. Immediately, they faced each other again, glaring.

"You think my techniques are useless!" They snarled, once again in unison. "I'll show you!"

"Guys!" Red cried out.

"What?!" They barked back.

"Can't you two agree that you have different strengths and weakness, and that one isn't better than the other?" Red crossed his arms. "I mean, punches are faster than kicks, right?"

"That's right!" Shinji laughed. "Good eye, Red."

"But, kicks have more power." Red continued.

"Hah, exactly. That's why they're better." Takeshi laughed. Shinji crossed his arms, pouting.

"Listen, though! Punches and kicks are both important, and they cover each other's weaknesses perfectly. Why only use one when you can use both?"

The two's eyes widened in realization, and they sat down cross-legged. Takeshi spoke first. "You may have a point, Red."

Shinji, too, was receptive to the idea. "Maybe we've been doing this all wrong."

"Yeah!" Red gave a thumbs-up. "Perfect! You two shouldn't have to fight. Teach each other, instead!"

Takeshi and Shinji smiled, looking at one another. They began to chuckle, which quickly escalated to laughter. They shook each other's hands, laughing all the while. "I'm sorry, brother. I was wrong about you." Takeshi put his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, too. We should help each other, not fight." Shinji replied, nodding.

That could've been ugly, Red thought. Still, he was pleased to see that the two were getting along. He had pulled most of that from his ass, so he was content to see that it worked.

"Red, wait!" Shinji came to him as he tried to leave. "We must thank you for helping us settle our disagreement."

"Uh, sure," Red wasn't sure what to say. "Thanks!"

"We both come from a line of men and women that teach Pokémon new techniques. We would like to offer you two techniques from our clan. Do you have Pokémon that can learn punching and kicking moves?"

Charmeleon had fallen asleep during the whole ordeal but woke up to the sound of Pikachu coming out. "I think these two can work, right?"

"Yes, that's great! Which technique do you want Charmeleon to learn? Mega Punch or Mega Kick?" Shinji asked.

Red weighed his options. He could give them both to Charmeleon, but then Pikachu would have nothing. Pikachu's attacks were weaker, but he was faster. So, he decided to give Charmeleon Mega Punch and Pikachu Mega Kick. "Mega Punch."

"So, that means Mega Kick for Pikachu, right?" Takeshi said.

"Yep," Red replied. "Won't this take a while, though? I thought Pokémon could only learn new attacks through growth or TMs?"

Shinji shook his head. "Not necessarily. We know of secret ways to teach Pokémon techniques they can't normally learn. We will show you. I will teach Charmeleon, and Takeshi will teach Pikachu."

For the next thirty minutes, Takeshi and Shinji did minor drills with the two Pokémon, showing them form and stances. They also fed them some berries as a reward for cooperating. Red had sat and watched, and they called him over when they were done.

"We will show you the fruits of our training," Shinji said, stepping forward with Charmeleon. "Use Mega Punch!"

Charmeleon roared, reeling his fist back. It began to glow with an orange light, and he threw it into a nearby tree. With a thunderous smack, the impact left a deep hole in the bark.

"Whoa! That's awesome!" Red pumped his fist in excitement. "Now, what can Pikachu do?"

"Go, Pikachu! Mega Kick!" Takeshi ordered.

 _"Pika!"_ The little rodent launched forward, his foot outstretched. It began to glow with the same energy, and he slammed into the same tree. With a crack, the wood splintered and the tree fell in the direction opposite of them.

"T-that's...incredible!" Red couldn't believe his eyes. These were _his_ Pokémon, performing these amazing techniques! There was no way he could lose to Misty now! "Thank you two so much! I think I can defeat Misty now!"

They nodded in unison. Shinji spoke. "You're welcome, Red. It's the least we could do to pay you back for helping to resolve our argument." He pointed towards the city. "We're heading back to the city. Are you coming, too?"

Red nodded. "Yep, I need to run another errand. I'm heading up the cape to do some more training, possibly find some more trainers."

"Good plan!" Takeshi laughed. "You can test your new techniques!"

The three walked back the short path to Cerulean, and Red bid the brothers goodbye. He decided that he would head to the Cerulean Cape, and possibly find some trainers to battle.


	8. Vs Misty II

**Thank you to rylek196 for being a dedicated reviewer and an excellent source of feedback. After reviewing my drafts again, I completely agree that my method for writing battles has gotten tedious. Since I've written ahead it may not start right away, but I'll be going back and making minor changes and updating battle scenes as I go. I'll be working hard to make sure that _all_ of my story is worth reading. Thanks again for pointing this out and making your opinion known!**

* * *

 **July 4th, 1996 (2:12 PM)**

The Cerulean Cape was a famous place in all of Kanto, known as a dating spot, and where Bill, the creator of the PC Storage System, lived. His house was always open to trainers who hoped to see Bill's collection of rare Pokémon he claimed to have. Nonetheless, Red wasn't really interested in that. He knew that on the way to the Cape, the Nugget Bridge there was a place to train, and he wanted to test the new techniques that Shinji and Takeshi had taught his Pokémon.

Still, he didn't expect to meet a certain someone at the foot of the bridge.

"Yo, Red!" Blue's voice rang out as he ran up to meet Red. Red's heart tightened in his chest. "You're still struggling along back here?"

"What's it to you, Blue? I'm taking my journey at my own pace." Red replied, his arms folded. He wasn't going to put up with Blue's attitude.

"Hey, whatever you want, man," Blue sneered. "I'm doing great, though! I'll show you how smart and strong my Pokémon are! Seriously, they're too strong!"

Red groaned audibly. "I get it, Blue, you want to battle. Let's battle, then."

"O-oh," Blue deflated a bit, seeing the wind was taken from his sail. "Sure thing!" The two boys took positions at the end of the bridge, about twenty feet apart. "I'll start! Pidgeotto!"

Blue sent out his newly evolved Pidgeotto, which looked quite similar to Red's. Appearance-wise, it was identical, but it carried itself in a different way. Blue's Pidgeotto was more streamlined and sharp, holding itself up with stoic silence. Red's, on the other hand, was more carefree, sometimes stopping to nuzzle Red before battling.

Since Blue would lead with Pidgeotto, Pikachu was a good response. "Pikachu!"

The yellow mouse took its place on the field, ready to battle. It looked back to Red, and he swore he saw it wink at him.

"Quick Attack!"

"ThunderShock!"

Pidgeotto launched itself at Pikachu, scoring a hit and flying into the air. Pikachu responded by sending a blast of electricity, which struck its wing, forcing it back to the ground.

"Not good enough, Red! Gust!"

"Dodge with Double Team, then Mega Kick!"

"Mega what?" Blue barely could hear himself speak out loud as Pidgeotto whipped up a large twister, sending it at Pikachu. The infamous yellow creature had created copies of itself, letting one of them be destroyed in order to evade the attack. After using its clones to fool Pidgeotto, it managed to get behind it.

"Pidgeotto, behind you!" Blue cried.

It was too late. Pikachu slammed its tiny foot, which was covered in intense energy, into Pidgeotto's beaked face. The impact sent it flying back several feet near the water. It was both out of bounds and knocked out.

"How on earth?!" Blue gritted his teeth. "Rattata!"

His next fighter was Rattata, a small purple mouse Pokémon, somewhat similar to Pikachu. It snarled and hissed, ready for command.

"Hyper Fang!"

Rattata launched forward, clamping down on not Pikachu, but one of the clones. Blue scoffed, irritated at Red's "strategy". "Come on, Rattata! Hit the right one! Hyper Fang!"

Rattata hissed warily, sensing his trainer's frustration with him. He launched forward again, this time, hitting his mark. Pikachu cried out in pain as he fought to dislodge his unwanted passenger.

"ThunderShock!"

Pikachu released his electric energy from his cheeks, enveloping Rattata. The small Pokémon had no choice but to jump away. He was burnt and bruised from the damage.

"Go, Quick Attack! Don't let up!" Blue ordered.

"Counter with your own Quick Attack!" Red shot back.

Rattata was fast, but Pikachu was faster, the two collided, but Rattata suffered the most damage. He skidded back towards Blue, finally collapsing.

"Okay, now the real party starts, Red. Squirtle!" Blue cried, throwing out its Pokéball. The Tiny Turtle Pokémon landed on its back legs, croaking happily.

"Pikachu, I'm calling you back. Let Charmeleon take over." Red said, pulling out his Pokéball. Despite grumbling, Pikachu obeyed his trainer and was sucked back in. "Now, Charmeleon!"

Charmeleon landed, and upon seeing Squirtle, his tail blazed hotly, and he growled in anticipation.

"Aw, you want a rematch?" Blue sneered. "Cute, but ultimately stupid. I still have the advantage. Water Gun!"

This attack was different from Bubble, as it was a strong, steady stream of water. Charmeleon tried to dodge but was hit with a glancing blow. His skin sizzled, and he grimaced in pain.

"Come on, Metal Claw!" Red commanded.

Charmeleon shot forth at great speed, bringing his claws down on Squirtle. While Steel-type attacks didn't do much damage to Water-type Pokémon, Metal Claw would occasionally raise the user's physical attack for the battle. This is exactly what happened, according to the Pokédex.

"Withdraw, and find an opening!" Blue called out.

Squirtle retreated into its shell, staying still. Charmeleon glared at his opponent, who he knew could still see him in the shell.

"Be wary, Charmeleon. He'll come out when we least expect-"

"Go, jump and Water Pulse!"  
Squirtle bounced up, still in his shell. He had bounced in the direction of the sun, preventing Charmeleon from looking directly at him. With a squeak, Squirtle stuck his head out, releasing an all-too-familiar attack: Water Pulse. That must mean that Blue defeated Misty as well. That only meant that Red had to defeat him, to prove that he could defeat Misty too.

"Charmeleon, hit with Mega Punch!"

Pulling his fist back, Charmeleon took aim. He saw the blast coming straight for him, and with a straight-arm smack, he brought his fist out, colliding with the Water Pulse. There was an eruption of steam, and several seconds passed. It eventually cleared, and Squirtle landed on the ground near Blue. Red could then see Charmeleon, who had taken little to no damage from the attack.

"What?!" Blue cried out.

"Amazing, Charmeleon! Now, use it again!"

Charmeleon charged, and Blue was too flabbergasted to command Squirtle. "S-Squirtle, get out of there!"

Squirtle could've moved in time, though. Charmeleon's fist came down on its face, sending it back all the way to Blue's side of the field.

"Now, finish it off with Ember!" Red commanded.

"Water Gun! Don't hesitate!"

Charmeleon whipped its tail around, sending little bits of fire at Charmeleon. While Squirtle managed to shoot its attack, it was weakened and inaccurate, due to the trauma in its face. The embers hit their mark, and with a cry, Squirtle fainted.

Blue sighed as he recalled his Pokémon and grabbed his last Pokéball from his belt. "Abra."

It was a Pokémon Red hadn't seen before. It was vaguely human-like but had a brown body and tail. Its feet had three toes, and it appeared to be sleeping, its eyes shut tight.

"Charmeleon, Metal Claw!" Red ordered.

"Teleport!" Blue replied. Before Charmeleon could reach it, Abra disappeared, only to reappear about six feet away. Charmeleon turned back, jumping at it and swiping at it. He made contact, and Abra fell back, damaged.

"Blue, does Abra have any attacks that can do damage?" Red called out.

He shook his head. "No, he doesn't. Abra doesn't learn any offensive moves until it evolves."

"Do you want to forfeit, then? I don't want to hurt it if it can't fight back."

Blue was stunned at Red's logic. Normally, any trainer would'vbeatenat Abra down mercilessly, but he was refusing to do so. As much as he hated to admit it, Red was right. "Alright, alright. You win, Red."

Blue recalled Abra and the two trainers came back together. Blue handed Red his prize money. "Unbelievable, I lost again. Keep training, Red. I'll get you next time."

Red chuckled. "Whatever you say, Blue."

Blue didn't stand around any longer and left without saying a word. That was an incredible battle, Red thought as he healed his Pokémon with potions. None of his Pokémon had been knocked out, and it was all because of the new moves he had learned!

"Wait!"

Red turned, only to find Blue running back. Oh, god, what could he want, Red grumbled to himself. To gloat more? To be a sore loser?

"I forgot something, Red," Blue reached into his bag, pulling out two small devices. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I feel sorry for you. You're always behind me, and even behind Leafy-girl, too," The derisive alteration of Leaf's nickname irked Red a bit. "Nonetheless, I want you to have this. Give one to her, as well."

It was a small device with a screen and two buttons on the left side. "What is it?"

"It's called a Fame Checker, man," Blue flipped the on the switch, bringing it to life. It showed an empty database of names. "It allows you to keep track of all the recent gossip and news about celebrities in Kanto. A chatty gossip like you is perfect for something like this." He laughed.

"Uh, okay? Thanks." Red said with doubt as he put them in his bag. "Anything else?"

Blue shook his head. "Nope. I got those for free, but I don't really give a hoot about anybody else, so I thought you two would like them. Smell ya!"

Blue took off again, leaving Red to ponder what he just said. 'Don't give a hoot about others'? Yeah, that was evident.

"Well, let's head up to the Cape. I'm sure we'll find something interesting up there." Red murmured to himself as he stepped on the bridge.

* * *

 **July 4nd, 1996 (2:45 PM)**

Red had battled about ten trainers, usually resulting in a short victory for him. The Nugget Bridge had also been easy, and he had won the prize of a small, gold nugget. Gold nuggets were sometimes found by trainers, especially near mountains and caves. They could be sold for a lot of cash, so they were highly sought after.

After winning, he had been approached by the man in charge. He offered him something nightmarish: to join Team Rocket. Red refused, saying that he would never do so. Some convincing was needed, and after a thrashing in battle, the man conceded his loss.

The journey to the cape was short and also full of trainers. They told Red about the luxury cruise liner in Vermillion called the S.S. Anne. It was a popular liner that came by once a year for trainers and rich folk to eat nice food and battle. While it sounded interesting, the sound of a loud party wasn't appealing to Red.

He eventually reached Bill's cottage, a small ranch building with a blue exterior and a mailbox, which read "BILL". The sign on the door also indicated the visitors were welcome, so he stepped inside.

Inside was the strangest setup he had ever seen. In the back of the main room, there was a great machine, with two containers connected by a long cord. To his left, there was a PC on a table, surrounded with papers. To the right was another door, which probably led to a living space of some kind. However, no one was around.

"Mr. Bill? Are you here?" Red called out.

"Down 'ere, kid." A small, squeaky voice replied.

Red looked down, only to find a Clefairy, much like the one Leaf had. "A Clefairy? Did it just talk?"

"Hey, I'm not a Clefairy! I'm Bill!" It replied, stamping its tiny foot. "Would ya help me out, 'ere?"

"Uh…" Red was so dumbfounded, he could find the words to reply. "Uh-uh, I'm leaving."

"Nonono, wait!" The Clefairy came at him, grabbing his pant leg. "Don't go, kid! I need your help! I'm not joshing with ya, I promise! I screwed up an experiment and got combined with a Pokémon. Can ya help me?"

Still at a loss for words, Red figured that the machine before them was responsible. "Sure? What should I do?"

"Wait until I get into the machine, then run the Cell Separator Program!" Bill(?) said as he climbed into the right chamber. Red walked over to Bill's PC, which had a window open, asking if the user wanted to run " " again. He clicked 'yes', and the machine began to whir to life. It hummed for about thirty seconds, and then the doors opened on both sides. On the left chamber, a young man, no older than twenty-five, stepped out. He had brown hair and wore casual jeans and a collared shirt. Yep, definitely Bill, Red thought.

"Hoo, whee!" He cried, stretching. "That coulda been way worse, though!" He came up to Red, taking his hand in a handshake. "I'm Bill, and thanks for saving my butt, kiddo! What's your name?"

"I'm Red, from Pallet Town."

"Very nice! You're friends with Blue Oak, right?" He smiled.

"Yeah…" Red chuckled inwardly, knowing that he'd just make it more complicated if he said anything else.

"Very nice!" He beckoned Red to come through the door on the right wall, where it led to a comfy, albeit plain, living space. Bill went to the kitchen as he continued to talk. "Did ya come to see my collection?"

Red shook his head. "Not exactly. I just wanted to see if this really was your place, Bill."

Bill set down some water, laughing. "That's too bad. You're more than welcome to, they're on my PC. Here," He produced a small piece of paper from his pocket. "Take this, for helping me out."

It was a small ticket, and it had a picture of a boat on it, along with dates and a barcode. "What is it?"

"It's an S.S. Anne ticket! The ship leaves tomorrow evening, but you can still catch it before it goes!"

While Red was flattered at the gift, he didn't really want to partake in the party. Still, he didn't want to be impolite and refuse the ticket. "Thanks, Bill. I'll check it out!"

"Great!" He gulped down some water before speaking again. "Let me show you my collection, and then I gotta get back to work."

Bill led Red back into the main room, where he pulled up some files on his computer. It was all pictures of Pokémon, some of which Red had seen before. Lastly, he showed Red a picture of his favorite Pokémon: Eevee. It was a brown, four-legged feline Pokémon, with big, beady eyes and luscious fur. The best part about Eevee was that it evolved into several different Pokémon, with three that were well known: Flareon, a Fire-type with orange fur and big tail, Jolteon, a yellow Electric-type with spiky fur and thin legs, and Vaporeon, a blue Water-type that traded back legs for a mermaid's tail and a white ruff, along with a fish's fins on its face. They were extremely popular Pokémon, and Red wasn't surprised they were his favorites.

With a goodbye, Red departed the cottage and headed back to Cerulean City. The day was hot, and he was hoping Misty's Gym would provide some cooler area. He was ready for her this time, and he was determined to win. With a new strategy and new moves in his roster, Red pushed the door to the Gym open.

"I'm back," He said to no one in particular.

* * *

 **July 4nd, 1996 (4:12 PM)**

Misty was in, luckily, and another match was arranged. Misty was secretly glad Red had come back, thinking he had given up. The preliminary match began, with Red battling Luis this time, instead of Diana.

"You ready, Red?" Luis called out, his voice echoing against the walls. Misty sat on his side of the bleachers.

"Yep! Go, Pikachu!"

Red released his Pokémon, and Luis sent out his own: a Horsea. It was small, blue, and looked like a seahorse, with cute eyes and a tiny cream-colored dorsal fin, which vibrated rapidly as it floated in the air.

"Bubble!" Luis commanded.

Horsea shot many blue bubbles from its tube-like mouth, which formed a small cloud flying straight at Pikachu. Without a command, Pikachu dodged.

"ThunderShock!"

Pikachu fired its blast of electricity, zapping Horsea. It flew back, unable to take the damage. It was knocked out.

"Alright, that was fast," Luis chuckled. "Shellder!"

The next Pokémon was also blue, but it was a flat shell, held up by two points on its bottom side. It opened up, revealing two, large eyes and a long, pink tongue.

"Icicle Spear!"

Shellder blasted large icicles from its mouth, and they hit their mark. It was an attack that was in parts, and it shot five volleys of spears, which only three hit. Pikachu recovered quickly, ready for another command.

"Go, Mega Kick!"

Pikachu launched itself into the air, orange energy collecting around its tiny foot.

"Withdraw!"

Like how Blue's Squirtle had done, Shellder merely closed its shell, protecting itself. However, Pikachu brought its leg down on top, sending energy out in a wave, pushing the two trainers back. Pikachu flipped back, landing on his side of the field. Shellder opened its shell, only to reveal that it was knocked out, its tongue hanging lazily from its mouth.

"Wow!" Luis recalled his Pokémon. "Nice work! You get another shot with Misty, Red."

"Great match, Luis," Red didn't recall Pikachu; he had opted to hop on Red's shoulder, instead. "You ready, Misty?"

Misty sighed, sitting up and stretching her arms. She had switched to an orange swimsuit today instead of blue. "Let's see how much you've improved, Red!"

She took her place on the battlefield, pulling a Pokéball from a bucket near her feet. If Red was correct, she would lead with Staryu. "You starting with Pikachu?"

Red shook his head. "No, someone different. Pikachu can spectate though, right?"

Misty shrugged. "I don't see why not. Just no funny business, mister!"

"Sure thing!" Red laughed; He found Misty's tone quite funny.

"Show me your best this time, Red! Staryu!"

The brown, star-shaped Pokémon came out, landing gracefully on its side of the field. Red wasn't concerned, because he had a plan.

"Pidgeotto!"

The brown and cream-colored bird took flight, doing a loop before taking his side, flapping in place.

"Oh, your Pidgey evolved!" Misty clapped her hands. "We'll have time for formalities later, though! Water Pulse!"

Looks like the kid gloves were off, Red thought. She wasn't messing around or anything, because she knew he had some kind of strategy. "Fly up! Use Whirlwind!"

Pidgeotto shot up like a bullet from a gun, evading the pulsing blast of water. After it dissipated, Pidgeotto began to beat his wings harder and harder, until a great gust of wind blasted forth, sending Staryu flying. It flew back and was sent back into its Pokéball by the attack, which landed at Misty's feet.

"W-what?" Misty stammered. "I guess you wanna fight Starmie that bad, huh? Sure thing! Starmie, Water Pulse!"

Misty's other Pokémon took the stage, firing the same attack again, its blue body spinning rapidly.

"Gust!"

Pidgeotto flapped its wings again, forming a small twister, which it sent towards Starmie. The two attacks collided but went through each other. Starmie was blown back, and Pidgeotto was knocked out of the sky. However, when he stood up, he tottered and wobbled like fresh gelatin.

"Pidgeotto, what's wrong?" Red called out. "Quick Attack!"

"Hah, he's confused! That's the secondary effect of Water Pulse, it has a chance to confuse!" Starmie stood back up. "Starmie, Swift!"

The featureless creature fired its yellow stars at Pidgeotto. The bird Pokémon tried to use Quick Attack, but instead of launching itself at Starmie, it opted for the wall behind it. Leaving a large dent in the wall, Pidgeotto slumped to the ground and was then struck by the Swift attack.

"Pidgeotto!"

He didn't reply, as he had been knocked out. Red recalled him, content his plan worked. He wanted Misty to be forced to send out Starmie, then he would do as much damage as possible to it.

"Come on, Red! That's it?" Misty taunted.

"No way! Charmeleon!"

The Lizard Pokémon landed on the arena, growling and hunched over. He knew the plan, and he wasn't going to fail his trainer. Not again.

"Maybe you haven't learned from last time! Water Pulse!"

Starmie shot the blast again, directly at its foe. Charmeleon pulled his fist back, letting it hum and glow with power. He then smashed his fist into the attack, just as it was about to hit him. The resulting explosion was massive, and a huge burst of steam came from it.

"Agh, stay sharp, Starmie," Misty said, trying to see into the steam. "He'll probably try to ambush you!"

 _"_ _Hahhh…"_ Starmie's feminine sigh was heard. It looked both ways and behind it, ready to strike.

"Now, do it!"

Red's voice pierced the field, as Charmeleon came from above, a Mega Punch already prepared. With all its might, it slammed the fist into Starmie's core, pushing it into the ground. The concrete floor cracked audibly, and there was a small crater that had formed from the impact.

"Whoa!" Luis yelped from the stands. "That's amazing!"

"Starmie! Water Pulse! Get him off of you!" Misty cried. She had no idea how he had done that.

Starmie shrieked as it tried to repel its attacker. The blast knocked Charmeleon off, but it only served to send it into the air again. It was like watching an online video on repeat.

"Do it again!" Red cried.

Charmeleon roared, charging another Mega Punch. He didn't care if Starmie would fire another attack, he would blast through it to hit it again, and many more times, if he had to. With even more force than the first time, he launched his clawed fist into Starmie's core, pushing it into the ground even more. A small earthquake shook the Gym, and the crater became deeper.

Charmeleon bounced back to his side, and there was no sound from Starmie. The young referee there looked in the crater, only to find a very unconscious star-shaped Pokémon.

"Starmie's KOed, Charmeleon wins!" She announced.

"Nice!" Red said in glee as he hugged his partner. "We're doing great!" He leaned into Charmeleon's ear. "Pikachu will take your place, okay?"

The orange Pokémon growled contently, happy to take a rest. Misty had recalled Starmie and sent out Staryu, who had to be careful not to fall in the crater on the field.

"It's not over yet, Red!" Misty called to him, pointing. "Water Pulse!"

"Switch!" Charmeleon was recalled. "Pikachu! Double Team!"

Pikachu materialized and was happy to oblige. It created many clones of itself, which the Water Pulse struck two of, making them disappear.

"Crap," Misty grumbled. She _hated_ that attack, having seen it many times before. "Rapid Spin! Hit as many as you can!"

Staryu began spinning and it flew to strike one of the Pikachus on the field, eliminating one clone. It struck another, and another, before there was only three left.

"ThunderShock!" Red ordered.

Staryu had gone for the wrong one, as the middle Pikachu released its electrical attack, wreathing Staryu in volts. It was forced to stop spinning and landed.

"Water Pulse!" Misty said. "Don't miss! Focus and hit your target!"

 _"_ _Hyah!"_ Staryu barked, preparing another concentrated blast of water. Red wasn't going to wait, though.

"Mega Kick!"

Pikachu charged and dove in with its leg outstretched, which glowed with energy. Staryu simply stood there, charging its attack.

"Now, Staryu!"

"Don't flinch, Pikachu!"

The two collided, with Pikachu making an impact as soon as Staryu launched its ranged attack. A large cloud of steam erupted, cloaking the fighters from view. Red held his breath, hoping and praying that Pikachu was still standing. Misty, too, was nervous; after all, she had two more Pokémon of Red's to defeat.

The steam slowly cleared, revealing both combatants on the ground, unconscious. Pikachu was sprawled out on its back, and Staryu laid on the ground as well, its core dull and not blinking like normal.

"I'm...out of Pokémon," Misty muttered.

"Pikachu and Staryu are knocked out, but since Red still has Pokémon that can fight, he wins!" The referee said.

Red recalled Pikachu without a word, whispering a thank you to the Pokéball. Misty stepped forward towards him, an indiscernible expression on her face. Was it rage? Hatred? Joy? He couldn't tell.

"Well, Red," She began. "That was a fine battle. As a Gym Leader, I'm frustrated that I

lost, but my happiness and respect for you as a trainer outweighs that. You are a fine trainer."

"Thank you," Red replied, feeling his cheeks heat up. "Did Brock tell you I was coming?"

"He sure did," Misty giggled. Wow, I didn't think she could be that girly, Red thought. "He told me about how you wanted to quit being a trainer due to circumstances. I'm here to tell you that you shouldn't do that. You have three Pokémon here that are strong and accomplished, all because of you. You gave them their strength!" Misty took his hand in hers, her palms soft and warm. "Don't give up and leave, Red. Keep going! Make your own path, and don't feel as though you need to follow someone else's for them." She reached into the bucket that she brought with her and pulled out something wrapped in cloth. "Here, you earned these," It was the Cascade Badge, which was shaped like a water droplet, and was bluer than the sky itself, as well as a TM. "It's for Water Pulse. If you get a Water-type Pokémon someday, teach it Water Pulse and remember me." She suddenly crossed her arms, huffing. "Who am I kidding, you better catch a Water Pokémon! If you don't, you'll be hearing from me!"

"I will, I will," Red chuckled.

"Red!" Luis jogged up to them. "That was amazing! A much better display of skill than the usual trainers around here. Great job."

"Thanks, Luis. I really appreciate all of the encouragement," Red said, his hands finding his pockets. "So, where do I go next?"

"You head to Vermillion City, which is south of here path Saffron City. However, if you want a direct path, you can take the Underground Passage by the gate. Many people just do that." Luis explained.

Misty and Luis escorted Red to the exit and waved their goodbyes, sending him off. Misty felt her eyes prick with tears, seeing just how much he had improved.

"Whoa, Misty," Luis chuckled. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," She replied, wiping her eyes with her fingers. "Don't know why I'm like this! I just really hope he keeps going is all."

"Don't we all," Luis replied, scratching his neck. "Gotta believe in him."

"Yeah," Misty said, staring at the open ceiling of the gym. The sun was still in the sky, but it was nearing evening. "I'll do just that."

* * *

 **July 4nd, 1996 (5:23 PM)**

Red knew where he had to go, but there was a new situation in the town that had sprung up. There had been a robbery, and a local house had been completely ransacked. Luckily, no one was hurt, and the only thing that was stolen was a TM, for the attack Dig. The man in the home claimed it was a man dressed in black, and Red knew that could only mean one thing: Team Rocket.

Still, Red knew for sure that it was Team Rocket, because he was locked in battle with a grunt right now.

"Mega Punch!" He ordered Charmeleon. The Lizard Pokémon blasted forward, ramming

his fist into the foe, a Drowzee, full force. It collapsed, unable to fight.

"C-crap," The grunt muttered. "Okay, you win, kid! Here, take it!"

The grunt forked the TM over, and Red took it back to the house. The man had insisted

Red keep it, though, since he worked so hard to get it for him.

"You're a trainer, young man, you should keep it," He protested. "Besides, I can get a new one in Celadon City. Please, I insist!"

Red shrugged, pocketing the disc for himself. Without a word, he left Cerulean City, having gathered his things from the room in the Pokémon Center. Cerulean City was a city of water, light, and bridges, but it was someplace he couldn't stay for long. After all, he had a friend and a rival to catch up with. He was the last one to get the Cascade Badge, and he couldn't afford to get any farther behind. With Pikachu, Charmeleon, and Pidgeotto in tow, Red set off for Vermillion City, known as "The Port of Exquisite Sunsets", was a famous vacation spot and tourist location. It had a huge port, where no doubt the S.S. Anne would be docked. Red felt a laugh escape his lips as they descended Route 6, knowing full well that his journey was just beginning, in essence. He had two badges, and he wasn't going to let anything stop him.

"Wait for me, you two," He chuckled, thinking of Leaf and Blue. He secretly hoped that he would see both of them soon.


End file.
